‘Please do not insult the intelligence of the general public by using the sodomy issue again. It has become a political joke.’

On Anwar files defamation suit against aide

Nobleman: Never knew that our Dr M’s strategy would be re-played. To those masterminds and invisible hands, please do not insult the intelligence of the general public by using the sodomy issue again. It has become a political joke.

It looks like sex and lust are the only ideas that can be used by BN to bring down opponents. When allegation cannot be captured on camera, story fabrications and superficial witnesses make their way to the media.

Anwar and family, most of the citizens are behind you. We are with you all the way. Whatever you will endure, you will be in our hearts. We seek no material benefits from your government. We ask that you to bring fairness and redeem the country that we deserve.

Ge Liang Zhu: The first time Anwar Ibrahim was accused of sodomy, it was a political attack to reduce Malay support for him. I strongly believe that someone in the police force and the judiciary had something to do with the tainted evidence.

The second time (now) is due to a group of people who want to remove him totally from politics but can't find any reason but to create the same allegation against him with a false witness.

This time is very critical as Anwar may never able to leave custody. All of us know that our police force has lost it's credibility and it acts for a group of political parties.

Lilian Tan: When I read about this possible allegation of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim, I had to crack up. After making all the loud noises about revamping our rotten judicial system, our government turns around and does this? Even from the little that has been reported, it sounds like a trumped-up charge.

After all, how credible is it that this healthy young man of 23 was sodomised against his will (on more than one occasion, mind you) by a 60-year-old man with a bad back problem? And how is it possible that this guy couldn't fend off Anwar's advances?

Was he drugged or hypnotised? Charmed senseless by Anwar's charisma, maybe? What's more, even if he had indeed been overpowered by Anwar, why didn't he make a police report after ‘the first time’?

Sounds suspicious? You bet!

JD Lovrenciear: Each day since the 12th GE we, the rakyat, have been overdosed with all kinds of paralysing expose after expose. Today we witness yet another even more frightening chapter going down the history of this nation that was once a promising tiger in the East.

The sodomy saga that has spewed again only signals that we may be going down a very narrow political alley and may never be able to U-turn for a long time.

One thing for sure, we are already well within the global radar of news for all the bad reasons. Now how much more of it is going to keep spreading in the world news is not a difficult guess. But do the corridors of power care really?

The rakyat continues to suffer under the yoke of all the political battles being fought by individuals and parties who are bent on power, greed and self-interest. Collaboration since the close of the general elections is out while counter-tactics seems to be the preferred mode of attack.

Indeed we have entered the most dangerous times of our fifty year of history. It is going to take a miracle for us to come out of this frightening tunnel especially when the world is gearing towards for very hard times in facing fuel, grain and supply shortages.

Our politicians meanwhile are far too busy in fighting tooth and nail to stay in power. Can the rakyat be accused of being pessimistic? Can the rakyat be tried for such insecure thoughts? Or must the rakyat remain mere pawns indefinitely?

Khairul Anuar Jaafar: I think it’s just plain disgusting that Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of ‘sodomy’, yet again, to discredit his political future. Enough has been said about the possible political motivations of such a plot, so I won’t add my voice to this particular chorus, which is already strong.

What I would like to point out is that Anwar is being discredited in this way because obviously, some people want us to reject his potential leadership on the basis of his alleged sexual preferences. This is a complete violation of human rights.

I, as a Malaysian, a Malay, a Muslim and a man, do not care what Anwar’s sexuality is – as far as I am concerned, any discussion on this is solely between him and his wife. Their privacy must be respected. I would only be interested in a politician’s sex life if such a politician was embezzling state funds or abusing public institutions to fuel their sexual fantasies or ambitions.

I hope Malaysians will come out and oppose this repulsive allegation. Sodomy laws in ex-British colonies have not only been used to persecute politicians – they also hold gays and lesbians hostage.

The law, in effect, criminalises and stigmatises all non-heterosexual relationships. Gays and lesbians have been persecuted, arrested, tortured and even killed because of such homophobia.

But gays and lesbians form a productive part of our society. They pay taxes, they vote, they contribute to the economy, they lead charitable organisations, some of them do very good work in our mosques, churches and temples, and yes, some of them get involved in politics.

The test of whether or not someone is fit for leadership should never be premised on whether or not that person is perceived to be gay or straight. I hope Malaysians are mature enough to speak out about this right now. My sympathies are with Anwar and his family.

I think Pakatan Rakyat should categorically condemn homophobia and this sort of homophobic- baiting, not just of Anwar but of any leader. The credibility of Pakatan Rakyat, specifically of PKR, would soar dramatically (at least in my eyes) if it came out and demanded a full repeal of Sections 377A and 377B of the Penal Code.

These sections outlaw ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’, and have been used in the past (and it looks like in the present also) to persecute individuals and groups simply because they are perceived to be non-heterosexual.

Pakatan Rakyat has already given us new hope by speaking out against corruption and racial and religious politics. If Pakatan can defend sexual diversity in the same way that they so convincingly defend racial and religious diversity, I have no doubt that they will continue to be the obvious choice for government.

Rachel Chan Suet Kay: What is sodomy? It is a word which is much equated with Anwar Ibrahim, but let us also examine the etymology of the word. To sodomise is to make contact between the genitals of one and the anus of another.

In Jewish theology, Sodom was destroyed not because its citizens were homosexual, but rather because they were nasty, corrupt, and selfish.

Whether Anwar is the sodomite in this round of allegations only proves one thing - that Malaysia discriminates against homosexuality. The question here is whether sodomy is a heinous crime, and how it has been used to demonise the alleged perpetrator.

Should Malaysia not have any laws against homosexuality then it would be ineffective for one to ‘accuse’ Anwar or any other of the ‘crime’.

Let us look at how people view the issue. The main intention of accusing Anwar of sodomising is, of course, to vilify him as a disgusting crook of a man who enjoys the rear end of others.

However, when Rahim Thamby Chik was said to have committed statutory rape, the issue was easily let off the hook.

With Section 377, Malaysians are prohibited from homosexual sodomy and are liable to face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. Compare this with the punishment meted out to rapists.

Offenders may only face up to a minimum of five years. While rape by definition carries the meaning of a forced act, sodomy, even if consensual, is treated as the larger sin.

People who do not fulfill traditional gender roles or heterosexuality often have no choice but to become commercial sex workers due to discrimination, with no legal protection from it. This is much, much sadder than whether a well-known political figure has committed sodomy.

The point is, sodomy is used as the ‘absolute sin of all’ in political maneuvering to create controversy when there are many others suffering from coerced sexual intercourse.

Instead of focusing our attention on whether Anwar has or has not committed this ‘absolute sin’, why don't we turn our attentions to greater justice for rape victims and greater civil rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community?

CCG: What a big joke and dirty trick again! Let's pray for Anwar. We really need a new and clean Malaysia.

Dian Abdullah: Desperate to hold on to their power, Pak Lah and Najib are reincarnating the same plot with a slight difference. This time they are very sure they can achieve the ultimate goal of getting rid of Anwar for good with the help of the government machinery.

But is it worth it just to stay awhile longer in the seat . Mahathir lost all when he started this game and now Pak Lah and Najib are hoping that with a combined hand they can win this Russian roulette.

I sympathise with Anwar’s family who has to go through this scenario again. It is obvious the powers-that-be have no more resources knowing the end is near. But they must never forget they themselves have a closet full of dirt that are known by others.

If you get too personal, we, too are capable of getting personal by opening those closed doors.

Chong: My mother and I had a good laugh over this at breakfast today. It's unfortunate that the alleged ‘victim’ would choose to report this to the police at a time when it would sound like a broken record.

I pity the poor doctor who has to examine the ‘evidence’. I just wonder...what would it take to ‘fabricate’ such evidence. How does one fabricate anal trauma?

Unfortunately, such sordid news still stirs the imagination of a lot of Malaysians (including myself) when we should be thinking of the global economy, rising costs, inflation, the food crisis and public safety.

Meng: The BN government just nailed shut their own coffin. They have hastened the day of their termination. All this because they have failed to truly understand what has happened to the political landscape of Malaysia.

Malaysians post-Mahathir are no longer terrified, no longer naVve and no longer listen to government propaganda. The BN, with this latest attack on Anwar, reveal that they are still oblivious to the new Malaysia.

By persecuting Anwar in order to save their own skin, they have caused political turmoil in the nation. Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat have more supporters today then they had in 1998 and any personal attack on Anwar Ibrahim will prove to be foolish and futile.

In fact this would probably anger the rakyat so much, that they will only demand for the quick demise of Umno and the entire BN who no longer represent the majority of Malaysians.

We live in such political uncertainty and I hope that the BN lawmakers will quickly end this stand-off once and for all by crossing the over to a legitimate government who seeks for the good of the whole nation.

The current government has been implicated in the shedding of innocent blood, it is knee-high in corruption allegations and is enmeshed in a culture of graft. There is mismanagement and abuse.

We have to compete globally and fight against our competitors in Asia and so the faster we can do this under a new administration the better.

Dorai Dubai: We can be pretty sure, it’s a well-planned fabrication by the desperate BN government to cover up all their wrongdoings. The BN government has smartly divert the attention of the public from Altantuya case and the fuel price hike issue.

Actually, Anwar should be blamed for openly airing his plans, which has given the BN government ample time to hatch a plot. Now, Anwar will be busy visiting his lawyers and the police for this rubbish case which will occupy his time.

So, the story of the crossover MPs from the BN camp now looks like its over. Can Anwar emerge from this new turmoil or will he fall at this juncture? The only way out for him is for those MPs waiting to cross over to do so now and form the next federal government.

This would save Anwar as well as our next generations.

Ratormo: I believe that the government is concern about the ‘million man anti-fuel price hike march’. Therefore they want to turn it into a reformasi riot (so that they can put Anwar back behind bars where he will no longer be a threat to Umno) or a racial clash (where they can recreate a May 13 situation and declare emergency).

This way they can get back the five states and remain as the federal government. Just my take of this situation.

Mooshie Mooshie: Assuming if some one were to make a similar allegation against the PM or DPM for sodomy and then make a police report, will the response to investigate be that lightning quick?