Is Anwar Victim Of Dirty Politics ?

Hantu Laut

This must be the umpteenth time I have said I am not a fan or supporter of Anwar Ibrahim but I must confess I could end up being his sympathiser.

I have never liked Anwar's style of politics even from his days in UMNO.He is no doubt a shrewd politician but also quite adapt to dirty politics.

He successfully knocked down the late Ghaffar Baba and took over the deputy president post of UMNO and became the deputy prime minister.After having messed up Ghaffar, who was not half the political animal that he was, he coveted the most powerful position, held by the very man who nurtured him to be his successor.From protege to conspirator his meteoric rise in the party hierarchy has not been without the help of former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad, the man whom he wanted to overthrow but failed and for which he had to pay a heavy price.

He was released from prison before serving his full sentence when Abdullah came to power.

His impatience and hunger for the top job has re-emerged after the March 8 General Elections.The substantial gain by the oppositions led by him has boosted his ego to grab the trophy by hook or by crook.He claimed to have 30 MPs from the other side ready to jump over to his side to form the new government by 15th September.He even labelled himself "Prime Minister in waiting".

Anwar is a man for himself, he has no gratitude and empathy for others and those who had helped him.He thinks highly of himself and exploited those around him.His charisma and double-speak draws people to him.With Anwar it is "familiarity breeds contempt" the closer you get to him the better you get to know of his character.From a distance he is the knight in shining armour.

However, Anwar dirty politics are pale compared to what he is getting in return if his claim of trumped-up charges against him were true. Fresh sodomy charge has been brought against him and is likely to kill his chance of going for the trophy.

Few politicians have been completely free of dirty politics.The use of slander, libel, forgery and other criminal acts to embarrass a political rival have long been recorded in the history book of politics.

While the ordinary people may be offended by the use of dirty politics, politician are notoriously immune to such allegations, such as the case of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who claimed to have been slandered by numerous individuals. One particularly damaging piece, not only to his reputation but that of his wife, was Raja Petra Kamaruddin's Satutory Declaration. Surprisingly he and his wife had not taken any civil action against Raja Petra, who deservedly should be dragged to court or taken to the cleaners for the slander, if it can be proven to be slander and not the truth. The government had instead charged him under criminal law which is probably less messy as compared to a libel case which can be a long drawn and embarrassing affair.

Most examples of dirty politics are apocryphal. The recent mud-racking campaign on the internet about Barack Obama being a Muslim was one such example.It was polled that 1 in 10 Americans believe the story.Even the highly esteemed New York Times ran a caricature of him and his wife in Islamic attire, which it claimed was only a political satire.A political satire with an agenda and done in bad taste to embarrass him and create doubts in the minds of the American people about his integrity.

In any political campaign, candidates have two fairly simple tasks, one to promote himself and the other to knock down his opponent.The knocking down of opponent needs dirty job and dirty jobs needs dirty people.

U.S President Richard Nixon was reputed to have maintained an entire staff of experts in dirty politics.The President's enemies were routinely investigated for their personal life and that of their family, audit of their income tax with IRS and anything that can smear their reputation.His dirty politics ended with his prosecutions for the Watergate affairs.

Is Anwar the victim of dirty politics ? The question is why again ? Is there something more sinister about him that we the layman have no knowledge of ?

Anwar maintains that he had been victim of trumped-up charges in the first sodomy case.When Abdullah became PM the court reversed its previous decision and exonerated him of the said crime.

The recent accusation by his aide of being sodomised by him again got him screaming a frame-up, accusing the government of trying to fix him and destroying his chance of taking-over the government.The accuser had been seen visiting theDPM's (Deputy Prime Minister) house before he lodged a police report. The DPM who initially denied of knowing the boy later admitted to have actually met him in his house to console him over his predicament.

The government is walking the tightrope as the whole world is watching its case against Anwar.

Even if he is charged he should not be deprived of his democratic rights to contest the by-election. He is innocent until proven guilty.

Now, can the general public be blamed for buying Anwar's story even if there was no conspiracy.

The outcome will be translated at Permatang Pauh.