United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee has urged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi not to repeat the mistakes of the past in wake of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s arrest.
"A decade ago, the spectacle of Anwar's mistreatment and imprisonment on transparently political grounds greatly discredited Malaysia in the eyes of the world community. The action tarnished the reputation of then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,” said Joseph R Biden, chairman of the powerful committee.
“I certainly hope that the current prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, does not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Biden, a senior senator from Delaware, called on Abdullah to “commit himself to rule of law and good governance in Malaysia”.
His statement came two days after police commandos in balaclava swooped on Anwar’s car as he approached his home, just an hour before he was due to appear voluntarily for interrogation.
His appointment with the police was over the sodomy allegations levelled by Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old who was an aide in his office.
Anwar was taken to police headquarters and underwent a six-hour questioning session before being taken to hospital for a medical examination where he was stripped naked and his private parts measured.
He was released on bail yesterday and is required to report back to the police next month.
Anwar has dismissed the accusations as a conspiracy to prevent him from seizing power, and said it was a re-run of events a decade ago when he was slapped with charges widely seen as politically motivated. Shocked and disheartened
Biden said he was “shocked and disheartened” by the arrest of Anwar, who is former deputy prime minister.
“This action appears to be motivated by political considerations: it comes less than a day after Anwar's announcement of his intention to stand for election to Parliament, and three months after Anwar's party made the strongest electoral showing by an opposition party in Malaysian history.
"The charges against Anwar closely mirror those levied against him in 1998: then, too, politically-motivated allegations were made against Anwar at the precise moment when he seemed poised to challenge a sitting prime minister.”
Malaysia earlier this month issued a formal protest to the United States over its comments on the investigation into the sodomy allegations, accusing it of meddling in its internal affairs.
Government leaders have also attacked Anwar as a "snitch" for the Americans.
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Biden, a senior senator from Delaware, called on Abdullah to “commit himself to rule of law and good governance in Malaysia”.
“This action appears to be motivated by political considerations: it comes less than a day after Anwar's announcement of his intention to stand for election to Parliament, and three months after Anwar's party made the strongest electoral showing by an opposition party in Malaysian history.
