Trial Threatens Political Landscape in Malaysia

Two months after his career crashed in a scandal that shook Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim stood Monday before a judge and jury of one to defend himself against charges of sodomy and corruption.

“I’m in good health and expecting a good trial,” the former deputy prime minister and finance minister said before hugging his wife and six children. Unlike the last time he appeared in court, with a black eye and bruises, he bore no apparent signs of police mistreatment.

Anwar, 51, once the heir apparent to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has denied all 10 charges against him. He contends that he was fired Sept. 2 and imprisoned on trumped-up charges because his onetime mentor, Mahathir, wanted to derail his political influence and Western-style economic reforms.

And even before the first witness was called, Anwar’s arrest and trial had ignited political fires that raced through Malaysia--long a model of stability and economic growth--and led to condemnation of Mahathir from abroad. Few Malaysians believe that Anwar can get a fair trial, even though the judiciary here is relatively independent.

Many observers believe that the Anwar case has unalterably changed the nation’s political landscape and put in question Mahathir’s future as Southeast Asia’s longest-serving head of government.

The trial, in a 19th century building once used by British colonialists, may last seven months. When it ends, the government says, Anwar will be charged with new sex crimes. Malaysia does not use juries in non-murder trials, and his guilt or innocence will be determined solely by High Court Judge Augustine Paul.

On Monday, Paul denied a defense request that four corruption charges--the first he will consider--be thrown out because the law Anwar allegedly violated is under review by parliament. The judge countered that it’s still on the books.

Although sex between men is a crime in predominantly Islamic Malaysia, Muslims have rallied to Anwar’s support, and from the mosques has been unleashed a pro-democracy movement. On the streets, there have been demands for reform, with protesters sometimes numbering in the thousands--a remarkable spectacle in a country where any unauthorized political gathering of more than four people is illegal.

Presidents B. J. Habibie of Indonesia and Joseph Estrada of the Philippines have ignored regional protocol not to comment on the affairs of other Asian nations and have sided with Anwar, and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi told Mahathir in Tokyo: “I don’t mean to interfere, but our country has a large interest in this situation.”

In addition to making donors and investors leery of Malaysia, Anwar’s trial and the demonstrations may also be a source of embarrassment in two weeks, when more than 20 world leaders, including President Clinton, are scheduled to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The trial will be suspended during the meeting.

Mahathir, 73, has responded to criticism by lashing out at everyone from CNN to ungrateful protesters. His aides approved the formation of an anti-homosexual league and announced that children who attend protests with their parents could be sent to juvenile welfare homes.

Clearly, Mahathir’s fortunes have taken a dive after 17 years in power. Most respect Mahathir for engineering an era of great economic growth but increasingly view him as another example of Asia’s need for term limits.

“We should name the airport after him and just let him go away,” said one attorney, with a touch of sadness. “That is something I never thought I’d feel.”

Mahathir oversaw one of Southeast Asia’s great success stories as well as the creation of a middle class. The depth of that middle class today makes unlikely any popular uprising like the ones that occurred in Indonesia in May and the Philippines in 1986. Most Malaysians, said one banker, “would like just to go back to making money and shopping.”

The falling-out between the ambitious Anwar and Mahathir dates to June, when Anwar’s people challenged Mahathir at a party congress by raising issues of corruption and nepotism. Mahathir responded by authorizing publication of a graphic, if not well-documented, book titled “50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Be Prime Minister,” which alleged that the deputy prime minister had engaged in sex with men.

Mahathir had already grown uneasy with Anwar’s advocacy of Western-style reforms to cure the souring economy, and as the rift between the two grew, the prime minister took Malaysia out of the free-market economy Sept. 1 and restricted the flow of currency.

The next day, he asked Anwar to resign. Anwar refused and was dismissed. He denounced Mahathir at a series of rallies and was arrested Sept. 20, accused of having had sex with his adopted brother and a former speech writer. The two men later recanted the confessions they made to the police, saying they had been made under duress.

The corruption charges relate to alleged attempts to cover up the affairs. If convicted on all 10 counts, Anwar could be fined, whipped and sentenced to 175 years in prison.