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Expulsion An UMNO tradition
Counterpoint Ghafar's unofficially official point of view
Stocks Pumping up the bourse
ASEAN Life without Anwar
SINCE HIS OUSTER ON Sept.
2, Anwar Ibrahim has been getting very little sleep. He stays up late to
meet the friends and supporters streaming through his home and wakes just
before dawn for prayers. His voice is hoarse and his eyes tired, but he
is not dejected. Maybe it's the vitamins his wife insists he takes. Sitting
crossed-leg on the floor amid unopened boxes of household goods (he had
to move everything from his official residence) and flanked by his wife,
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar spoke to Asiaweek's Assif Shameen and Santha
Oorjitham.
Did you expect to be sacked like this?
I didn't expect it would come to this. I always thought if there was any misunderstanding between me and [Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad] it could be worked out. But it seems Mahathir just believed what he wanted to believe. There were people who kept telling him that I was a threat. Some people can be paranoid.
But you are facing serious allegations.
I have not yet been officially informed of the specific charges against me or that I am under any investigation. No police officer has come to question me, I have not been asked to give a statement. Only very recently, Mahathir did mention to me that some documents were found that could be a breach of the OSA [Official Secrets Act]. He never told me what documents or where they were found. These are all political charges, completely fabricated. They are a figment of somebody's imagination. I have categorically denied all the allegations.
You say there was a conspiracy to push you out of office.
The book [50 Reasons Why Anwar Can't Be Prime Minister] was funded by very senior people in the government and the corporate sector. Tens of millions of dollars were spent on several print runs and it was distributed widely. I have a tape to substantiate that. The book was freely distributed even after I obtained a court injunction. I have sworn affidavits both from the driver and the woman who allegedly had sex with me. I have evidence that people have been coerced into giving statements implicating me. Where in modern times have you heard of an elected senior leader of government charged with sexual misconduct, treason, sedition, leaking official secrets, obstruction of justice - all in one go?
Who is behind the conspiracy?
The conspiracy goes very high up. About three months ago, I told Mahathir about this conspiracy, but he just ignored it. I don't have any evidence that Mahathir orchestrated the whole thing. A full police report on the poison-pen letters implicated certain people very, very close to him. These people felt threatened by me. It's unfortunate because my views on corruption, on corporate governance, on ground rules for privatization, on cronyism, nepotism, on human rights were not directed at a few people but at creating a better society. But they thought these issues were too radical. [Some people also] felt that I was going to challenge Mahathir. No amount of assurances I gave satisfied them.
Do you expect to be charged and put behind bars soon?
Initially they wanted to nab me under the Internal Security Act. Then they drew up these eight counts and now it's 10, including one based on a recent TV interview. They probably want to add a few more charges just to be on the safe side before they take me away.
Were you going to challenge Mahathir next year?
No. No. Actually I agree with Mahathir on the need for a smooth transition. Any relationship at the top level in politics is difficult. It would have served no purpose to challenge him, especially at this juncture when the economy was turning bad. But I also wanted him to understand the undercurrents in the country. I indicated that we should either make adjustments now or let a smooth transition take place eventually. But I never threatened him. I wanted to let him determine the time frame for transition. He thought I was too much of a nuisance or obstacle.
Was disagreement on economic policy a key reason for your downfall?
No. It was purely political problems.
You are now talking about reforms. Why didn't you reform when you were in the government for 16 years?
When I was inside I even talked about change in front of Mahathir, which is why it came to this. I admit there were some compromises along the way because I believe the party [UMNO] should be intact and the country politically stable.
Will you form your own party or work with the opposition?
I don't want to preempt anything but I will work inside UMNO, outside UMNO, through UMNO to fulfill the reforms that Malaysians are now demanding.
