GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc. The Philippine Star, Friday, July 18, 2008
When I called my diplomat-friend Fernando Tuesday afternoon, my question for him was for a simple yes or no answer. So his reply came unexpected: “I’m in Kuala Lumpur right now and sitting beside Anwar Ibrahim. Good you called. Talk to him.”
Before I could say anything, the would-be prime minister of Malaysia was on the other end, asking me how the weather was in Manila. “Stormy as ever,” I said, gazing out the car window into the second day of Tropical Depression Helen. “But not as bad as it is there, from what I read,” I added upon recalling the news about Malaysian police roadblocking Parliament to prevent a rally of his supporters.
“Yes, it’s not too good here,” Anwar understated.
Malaysia is sitting on a political powder keg. Street protests are about to burst for Anwar, like in 1998. In a sour rerun of ten years ago, police are foisting on the opposition leader 20 years in jail allegedly for sodomizing an aide. Family and friends decry the charge as harassment. For it comes in the midst of Anwar’s backroom talks with past associates in the ruling Nation Front to topple the government that has ruled since the 1950s. In an election upset last March, Anwar’s People’s Alliance shook up the Front’s traditional three-fourths hold on the 222-seat Parliament, leaving it with an edge of only 30 members. His wife and daughter handily won seats in districts held by beefy Cabinet ministers, a sign of Malaysian discontent with their rulers. At least 21 ruling MPs were being rumored to defect to Anwar, and Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was mulling abdication — and then popped up the sex charge.
“I am scheduled to go to the police at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday,” Anwar explained to me the deadline for him to answer the allegation. “But we were surprised earlier today, when they issued a warrant of arrest. I think that means, when I meet them tomorrow, they will arrest me. From there, I don’t know what will happen.”
Anwar’s voice was calm in the face of uncertainty. He had seen it all before. In 1998 he was finance and deputy prime minister slated to inherit the top post when suddenly unseated for a policy tiff with Prime Minister. Mahathir Mohamad. The aging boss perhaps thought his chosen heir could mess up his envisioned legacy, and so turned insecure and wanted him out. Anwar was accused of sodomizing a driver, booted out of Parliament, and jailed. As followers took to the streets, the government sent out riot squads. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the charge in 2004. But by then he had already overstayed six years for a less serious rap of abuse of power.
Sir, are you sure you should even go (meet the police), I pressed? “I have to” was Anwar’s quick reply, “I have to prove that I am innocent and the charge is malevolent.”
When the new sex rap was filed in June, Anwar dashed to the house of the Turkish ambassador to Kuala Lumpur for sanctuary. A discomfited government assured the diplomatic community of fair treatment to induce Anwar back out. He reemerged into the arms of adoring fans.
The government reneged. On Wednesday, an hour before Anwar was to drive to his 2 p.m. conference with prosecutors, police swooped in and brought him to jail. Nobody would explain the reason for the arrest before the deadline lapsed. Lawyer Ainiah Kamaruzaman only said the authorities could hold Anwar for a maximum 14 days before allowing bail. “That’s what they did in 1998,” she recalled, “and they tortured him on the first four days.” Another aide said the jailors had wanted Anwar to submit to a DNA test. It would have been fine with their charismatic leader, but he distrusted the police and so preferred a court order for it.
At press time yesterday, the jailors had relented and accepted bail. Resting at home, Anwar received calls from worried friends in Manila. Among them was Joseph Estrada, who as Vice President in 1992-1998 had often met deputy premier Anwar as counterpart second-in-command. They see parallels in their common experience of being deposed, jailed and eventually freed.
Anwar is also close to Lakas leaders: founder Fidel Ramos, president Joe de Venecia, and ideologist Joe Almonte. Over dinner recently at de Venecia’s house, with Ramos, Almonte, Senate President Manny Villar and congresswoman-wife Cynthia, he thanked his Filipino friends for their trust and succor. The man who might soon be Prime Minister restated his vision for closer ties between the two lands that owe nationalist beginnings to the great Jose Rizal. Anwar while in prison read Rizal’s novels and biography twice. He has so imbibed the hero’s traits, even the little-known ones, that he now also dunks his bread in his coffee.
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E-mail:
jariusbondoc@workmail
