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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Special Focus Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters An uncertain future
By Mohamed KhaledThe sentencing of the ousted Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to six years in jail for corruption last week has sparked a new round of turmoil throughout the country. Not only the sentence, but the way in which the trial was conducted too, have given rise to many suspicions as to the true "independence" of the court. "My husband is innocent," Wan Aziza Ismail, the wife of Anwar Ibrahim, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "The public believe that he has been unfairly charged. A great part of the evidence was not adequate and many defence witnesses were not allowed to address the court."
Speaking to the Weekly, Syed Husin Ali, president of the opposition People's Party, said, "Many people fear that the courts in this country are no longer free from political interference and control. They get the impression that the whole trial was aimed at discrediting Anwar politically."
As a result of this sentence, Anwar will have to sit out the next two general elections. In addition, because of his criminal record, he will be disqualified from participating in politics for five years following his release. As a result, he looks sure to be kept in the background for at least fifteen years. "This is what [Prime Minister] Mahathir [Mohamad] wants: to keep him off the scene for as long as possible," Ali told the Weekly. In Ali's opinion, Anwar's political future is highly unclear. "If the opposition wins the coming election -- which seems unlikely -- then it is possible he may be pardoned by the king and released earlier to participate in the political process. But, if the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN) [National Front] wins, then things look bleak."
In the wake of the trial, the Malaysian opposition has expressed deep concern about the future of democracy in the country. "The events of the past two months have indicated that Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister, is growing more authoritarian and concentrating a great deal of political power in his own hands," explained Ali. "In addition, his cronies now have a considerable monopoly on economic projects and the country's wealth. It seems that in order to protect his political and economic interests, he is taking greater control of the media, the court and the police. Of course, this will have an adverse effect on the development of democracy in the country."
The sentence handed down to Anwar has triggered daily protests and scattered street clashes, which are widely seen as a sign of both current and future troubles for a country which once led the way for Southeast Asia in terms of stability and prosperity. "All opposition, and especially in the form of demonstrations, even though they have mostly been peaceful, has been severely suppressed, which is an indication that there is less room for dissent," said Ali. Wan Aziza, who spoke to the Weekly following a rally in Penang, north Malaysia, attended by almost 80,000 people, said, "Despite the harassment of the government, people still come to our rallies in huge numbers. This support we are receiving is very encouraging and is giving me an ever increasing hope that an alternative to the present government can be found." She added she has received support from both Muslims and non-Muslims, as well as from a large number of Malaysian women.
Nevertheless, it would appear that the chances that the opposition parties might take power in the near future remain very poor, as they have been seriously weakened by constant attacks by the government. "The government has many repressive laws at its disposal, such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows indefinite detention without trial, the Printing and Publications Act which can be used to control the media and suppress freedom of expression, the Police Act, under which any gathering of more than four people is illegal, the Universities and University Colleges' Act, which controls the freedom of students, and many more," said Ali.
Faced with such an apparatus, the strategy of the opposition has been to work collectively against the government. According to Wan Azizah, the opposition parties have now come together in a coalition that includes the Islamic Party, the Democratic Party which is dominated by ethnic Chinese, the People's Party and her own newly-formed National Justice Party, to fight jointly against the BN in the coming elections. "We aim at offering a viable alternative to the current government, but we have to bear in mind the resistance from the BN, as it controls the government machinery, police and the media," she told the Weekly. According to Ali, "Despite the odds, the opposition parties have gained support because of the growing public anger against Mahathir and the government he leads, especially in the wake of the economic crisis of the past two years."
The opposition is also taking advantage of the political turmoil that followed Anwar's dismissal from the government. According to some analysts, there are groups in opposition circles which believe that Mahathir will not survive the coming election, though since he controls the government, he may yet manage to manipulate the results to his own advantage.
Although the Malaysian opposition is far from having achieved a consensus about the coming elections, they nevertheless appear optimistic the future. "It is very likely that we will achieve progress," said Wan Azizah. "We are confident that we will at least be able to break the government's current two-thirds majority."
