Review & Outlook : The Case Against Anwar

anwaribrahimblog

WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA - It’s been a month since an aide to Anwar Ibrahim accused the Malaysian opposition leader of sodomy, yet no formal charge has been filed nor has Mr. Anwar been allowed to see the police report filed against him. Now, the case against Mr. Anwar looks shakier still.

Yesterday, Mr. Anwar’s supporters pointed to an independent political blog, MalaysiaToday, which posted a two-page medical report it said was written by a doctor who examined Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28, the day the aide went to the police with his complaint. The alleged report is written in shorthand and signed by Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid. It says that a rectal examination showed no active bleeding, tears or injury.

The hospital yesterday confirmed that Dr. Mohamed is on staff, but wouldn’t comment on the report. MalaysiaToday’s editor, Raja Petra Kamarudin, confirmed to us by telephone that he has seen the original report. Dr. Mohamed hasn’t been seen since the post on MalaysiaToday. A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office declined comment to us. The Deputy Inspector-General of Police told the New Straits Times that investigations were continuing.

This great wall of silence raises many questions. If it’s true that Mr. Anwar’s aide didn’t present any physical signs of injury at the hospital, then on what basis was the police report filed? If the aide went to a government hospital to get a second opinion — as required under the law in sodomy cases, and as the first doctor suggested — what did that second doctor see? And why is the accuser, Mr. Saiful, still formally under police protection?... selanjutnya.