In 1998, the Reformasi movement was inspired by claims that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was persecuted by his then boss Dr Mahathir Mohamad who allegedly feared that his deputy was going to expose corruption in Umno and in the federal government.
The then prime minister sacked his number two from the Cabinet and the party. There was a standoff between Anwar and the authorities, which saw him cooped up in his house with loyal supporters.
With the eyes of nation and the world on him, Anwar claimed that he had boxes full of evidence to back his corruption allegations.
He was eventually found guilty in 1999, and sentenced to six years in jail on corruption charges. He was later found guilty of sodomy, that came with a 9-year jail sentence. However, in 2004, shortly after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became prime minister, his conviction was overturned and he was a free man.
Yet, after being freed from jail, and for all the time he was out and in effect considered the defacto opposition leader, Anwar had never once shown any of the evidence he claimed to have had in his possession back in 1998.
What happened to the evidence? Why wasn’t any of it made public?
Why no action even with new government
Furthermore, now, after the defeat of Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Election, he has been freed again from jail, where he had been since February 2015. Yet, again, there is no sign of him exposing the alleged wrongdoings.
Making such evidence public after Umno’s drastic fall from the seat of power should be even easier now, shouldn’t it? After all, he can no longer say that Umno controls the MACC, AGC or the police. So, where is the evidence Anwar?
The obvious question to Anwar is this – did any such evidence of corruption in Umno and the government even exist in the first place? If yes, where are they? Why has it not been made known to the police or AGC for the relevant action to be taken?
Evidence on Daim’s alleged corruption
Also, in 2015, Anwar said that he had evidence on Tun Daim Zainuddin’s corruption. He said he had reported it since 15 years before. He said the MACC had interviewed him over the allegation. Well, what happened to that investigation?
We all saw how Daim returned to the government in an advisorial role, as the chairman of the Council of Eminent Persons. And even now, he is still helping Mahathir. So, why hasn’t Daim been charged? And more importantly why hasn’t Anwar questioned MACC on their probe into his allegation against Daim?
The Anwar who wants to be prime minister of Malaysia must first answer these questions, otherwise, he has no right to be prime minister.
That is because, leaving these questions unanswered will only open up room for more questions.
Collusion with Daim? Najib?
For example, is Anwar now colluding with Daim? Did they make a deal?
Did Anwar sell his soul to someone he had once claimed to be one of the most corrupt persons in the country?
Even more intriguing is the fact that if he had done a deal with Daim, could he also do one, if not having already done so, with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak?
Are all the allegations about Najib talking to him behind Mahathir’s back true?
Mahathir once said, “let me save the country first, and then investigate me”.
The country hasn’t been completely saved but only Najib is being investigated. Let’s say we spare Mahathir for investigations later, why aren’t we investigating Daim? What about the others whom Anwar claimed to be corrupt way back then?
Return to power
And now Anwar is seen to be hurrying his possible return to power. Why? What’s wrong with waiting for the promised prime ministership? It’s his in less than two years if Mahathir keeps his promise. If Mahathir doesn’t, then we have the Rakyat, no?
Or maybe Anwar doesn’t trust the rakyat will rise again for him? But why? We did in 1999. Back then we were told you had evidence. Now where are those evidence?
Quite possibly, he may just want to expedite his return to power so that he can go after everyone. That does raise more questions of who he might be targeting.
So, Datuk Seri, is that why you can’t wait much longer? Think first about what will happen to the country if you do that? Will Putrajaya fall back into BN’s hands?
Is that what you want? I’m sure that’s what your friend, Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants.
Since there is still no evidence on corruption surfacing until today, let’s ask the most important question of all… was Reformasi based on a lie?
Have we been fighting a lie the past 20 years?
-By Mujahidin Zulkiffli, NMT
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