Anwar: Time to correct past injustices committed
KUALA LUMPUR: PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the heads of judiciary to correct the previous injustices of former senior judges.
“If there is any sense of justice and necessity to correct the inherent wrongs, the heads of judiciary must now take the necessary immediate action,” he told reporters after the launching of the book Anwar Returns: The Final Twist yesterday.
Anwar said he was not interested in taking personal action against Court of Appeal or Federal Court judges that had made frivolous decisions in his previous sodomy trials.
He said the issues over the travesty of justice committed during his sodomy trial would be brought up during his Court of Appeal hearing on Sept 15.
Earlier in his speech, Anwar said that even the Yang diPertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, noted that he had been wronged by unjust decisions.
“When I met the King, he told be that he was giving me a full pardon not because he had the power and authority to do so but because it was his duty to correct the gross injustices,” he said.
Anwar, who was pardoned by the King on May 16, reminded the present government not to allow the courts or authorities to abuse their powers for selective prosecution or deny anyone their legal rights.
On his partnership with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad despite being put in prison by him, Anwar said it was due to the common goal of saving the nation.
“People ask me why I work with Dr Mahathir.
“It is because I believe in this country and that we must be able to have compassion and forgiveness for the right cause in saving Malaysia,” he said.
On the recent hunger strike by at least 160 detainees held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012, Anwar said that there should be a review of how the law was used.
“I will bring the matter up with the home minister,” he said.
While supporting tough laws against terrorism, Anwar said that Sosma must not be used to deny detainees basic rights.
“I do not condone violence, terrorism or criminal acts. We must be tough and firm. But we must respect due process. From what I observe, Sosma is far worse in terms of treating prisoners than the ISA,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail launched the book written by Australian Queen’s Counsel Mark Trowell.
Trowell had previous written The Prosecution of Anwar Ibrahim: The Final Play in 2015 and Sodomy II: The Trial of Anwar Ibrahim in 2012.