Editorial: Justice prevails Tuesday, 10 January 2012 04:51

The acquittal of Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy charges by a court is a victory for the country’s judicial and political system.  The acquittal of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, 64, of sodomy charges by a court in Kuala Lumpur has stunned the nation – understandably. The court verdict has a huge significance and ramifications. First of all, it’s a personal victory for Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister, who has long said the sodomy charges against him were politically motivated and a government plot to weaken his three-party coalition. Interestingly, the charges emerged after his coalition made huge gains in the 2008 general elections against the ruling National Front alliance, which has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years. journalists outside the courtroom: “Thank God justice has prevailed I have been vindicated.  To be honest, I am a little surprised,” he told journalists and thousands of his supporters who had gathered outside the court.

Anwar served as both deputy prime minister and finance minister in the Umno party before falling out with his then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, in 1998.

Secondly, the verdict is a victory for Malaysia’s judicial system which has been proved to be thoroughly independent and free of any sort of extraneous interferences. In his ruling, judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah said the submitted evidence was tainted and insufficient and decided to acquit the opposition leader. In fact, the government has claimed the judiciary’s impartiality was a result of its reforms. “The current wave of bold democratic reforms introduced by [Najib] will help extend this ransparency to all areas of Malaysian life,” the government said in a statement released after the verdict.

Thirdly, the verdict will have a huge impact on the general elections which the prime minister, Najib Razak, is widely expected to call this year. Anwar Ibrahim will be able to ride a sympathy wave and can attempt a political comeback after years in the political wilderness. The voters would recognise that he has suffered unfairly all these years as the court has set him free and they will have increased faith in the politcal and judicial systems which has made this verdict possible.

The opposition controls more than one-third of parliament’s seats. Anwar has become the leader that binds the three very ideologically different parties in the country’s opposition, which includes Islamists and an ethnic Chinese party. He now needs to come up with a viable alternative for the future and focus on winning the elections which will be free and fair. The government that emerges from the election will be stronger, and with a clear agenda which can take Malaysia up the path of unprecedented progress.

The verdict has also enhanced Malaysia’s image abroad as a progressive nation with an independent judiciary.