Pasai apa Tangkap Bakaq?

BEBASKAN BAKAQ- Mob

Saya cuba menyusuri beberapa ‘ entries’ Bakaq, kot-kot ada yang sensetif sangat kepada kerajaan PM Abdullah hingga dia kena cekup malam kelmarin.

Malam kelmarin saya baca posting Bakaq :

Sebagai orang Perak,terharu saya apabila membaca posting Cik Gu Al-Husseyn bertajuk "Sekelip waktu di sekitar pejabat MB Perak". Hanya yang saya harapkan ialah saya tidak meminta apa-apa, walau setengah sen pun. Hang jangan takut, Misbah. Aku kuat lagi ni. Aku takkan pi kacau hang.

Takkanlah tulis gitu pun seditious? Kita semua tidak pasti yang mana satu artikel Bakaq yang dianggap seditious oleh pihak Keselamatan Dalam Negeri.

Bakaq or his real name is Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar has contributed a lot in revealing the hidden agenda of the infamous Muzakarah between PAS and UMNO. It is so damaging that the Deputy President of PAS, Nasharuddin Mat Isa has made a threat to sue him although later it was proven that much of what Bakaq has revealed is true.Pasai pendedahan perjumpaan itukah? Dah tu pasai apa?

Esok, Bakaq, selepas reman satu hari , tentu dia akan ceritakan apa bendanya. Sabaqlah Bakaq, hang keluaq nanti tentu banyak modal untuk hang tulis.Teruskan!

-ALHUSSEYN

Apabila pemimpin telah tergelincir ...

Suatu ketika dulu , saya pernah menyaksikan suatu peristiwa yang agak lucu.Mungkin tidak patut saya katakan peristiwa itu sebagai lucu.Saya pun tak tahu nak kategorikan bagaimana.Saya katakan lucu, sebab saya terpaksa nak gelak bila mengingatkan semula kejadian tersebut. Macam saya katakan tadi , saya serba salah kerana rasa simpati dan rasa kesihan tu memanglah ada , tapi tergelak tak dapat nak elakan.Macamana tu ya?

Ceritanya begini, dulu-dulu , di pekan Gunung Rapat ni terdapat satu penempatan Pusat Latihan Orang Buta. Disitu mereka dilatih menganyam bakul rotan dan seumpamanya.

Setiap hari Jumaat, ada sekumpulan dari mereka yang pergi untuk sembahyang jumaat di mesjid kampung saya , Sungai Rokam. Mereka berjalan dalam satu barisan . Orang di hadapan , sebagai ketua sahaja yang memegang tongkat putih. Yang lainnya masing-masing memegang hujung baju kawan yang didepan. Gambarannya seperti anak gajah memegang ekor ibunya dengan belalai , lebih kurang macam tu lah!

Memang lucu melihatkan telatah mereka berjalan gitu.Masa itu , jalan raya tidaklah sesibuk dengan kereta seperti sekarang ini. Waktu itu saya baru belasan tahun lagi.Ini cerita 40 tahun dulu!

Mereka sedang dalam perjalanan balik dari mesjid.Berjujut mereka berjalan di sepanjang pinggir jalan raya.Entah macam mana , ketua dihadapan ni leading the way agak laju sikit. Tapi mereka tu nampak girang sesama mereka. Masing-masing saya lihat mendongak kelangit dan menapak demi tapak dengan penuh yakin mengekori ketua yang dihadapan.

Entah macam mana , (nak tergelaklah saya ni!) orang depan tu telah tergelincir masuk ke dalam longkang di tepi jalan ! Saya lihat satu, satu, hingga kelima-lima semuanya masuk kedalam longkang beriringan dengan gelak ketawa mereka. Orang-orang yang melihat pun turut ketawa tahan perut takut pecah!

Nasib baiklah longkang tu tidak dalam dan masing-masing dapat keluar dari longkang itu dengan selamat; mereka duduk ditepi longkang masing-masing gelak tak sudah!

Saya pasti mereka telah hilang kepercayaan terhadap orang yang jadi ketua tadi.Sambil duduk-duduk dengan gelak tak sudah itu, tentunya mereka terpaksa melantik orang lain untuk memegang tongkat putih kerana perjalanan perlu diteruskan lagi.

-ALHUSSEYN

Anwar mengaku tidak bersalah

kemaskini 6:31pm Ketua umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur hari ini atas tuduhan melakukan hubungan seks di luar tabii dengan pembantunya Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan penghujung Jun lalu.

Pihak pendakwa tidak membantah Anwar dibenar ikat jamin dan mencadangkan ketua umum PKR itu dikenakan jaminan RM20,000 dan menyerahkan pasportnya.

Hakim SM Komathy kemudiannya membenarkan Anwar dibebaskan dengan bon peribadi sebanyak RM20,000 tanpa penjamin.

Hakim menambah, Anwar tidak perlu menyerahkan pasportnya kerana mahkamah yakin mantan timbalan perdana menteri itu tidak akan melarikan diri.

Beliau juga menetapkan kes itu disebut pada 10 September depan di Mahkamah Tinggi untuk menentukan tarikh perbicaraan.

Anwar dihadapkan ke mahkamah susulan laporan polis yang dibuat oleh Mohd Saiful pada 28 Jun.

Menurut kertas pertuduhan terhadapnya (lihat carta), Anwar didakwa melakukan jenayah tersebut pada petang 26 Jun lalu di sebuah bilik di Desa Damansara Condominium, Bukit Damansara.

Jika disabitkan kesalahan bawah Seksyen 377B Kanun Keseksaan, Anwar boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara sehingga 20 tahun dan sebatan.

Beliau keluar dari mahkamah jam 11.10 pagi dengan disambut kira-kira 500 penyokongnya yang berada di beberapa tempat, termasuk di perkarangan kompleks mahkamah dan di luar pintu utama.

Anwar tiba di kompleks mahkamah itu pada jam 9.38 pagi tadi untuk menghadapi tuduhan liwat.

Sementara itu, seorang peguam bela Anwar, Sankara Nair berkata anak guamnya gembira dengan keputusan mahkamah membenarkan jaminan peribadi.

"Ini adalah kuasa mahkamah. Kali ini mahkamah mengambil keputusan yang kuat dan adil. Keputusan jaminan hari ini adil," katanya.

Peluang anak guamnya "bagus" jika sistem kehakiman berjalan adil, tambahnya.

Berdasarkan pertuduhan yang dibuat, Anwar mempunyai alibi kukuh, katanya.

"Kita ada alibi. (Perkara) ini telah diberitahu kepada polis apabila kenyataannya (Anwar) dirakam pada 16 Julai di balai (ibu pejabat polis Kuala Lumpur).

"Jadi, kami tidak faham kenapa dakwaan terhadap Anwar dibuat," kata Sankara.

Menurut peguam lagi, pada tanggal dan masa Anwar dituduh melakukan kesalah itu, anak guamnya berada di kondominium berkenaan bersama lebih kurang lima orang lagi.

"Beliau ada di tempat itu (Desa Damansara Condominium), tetapi ramai orang di sekelilingnya disebabkan mereka ada pertemuan.

"Beliau telah memberikan nama orang-orang itu dan polis telah merakamkannya," kata Sankara.

Ditanya kemungkinan Anwar menghadapi dakwaan lain, peguam itu berkata: "Kalau ada dakwaan, biasanya (dibuat) bersama."

Setakat ini, Anwar diwakili sembilan orang peguam, diketuai Sulaiman Abdullah.

Selain Sankara, peguam lain termasuklah Sivarasa Rasiah, Saiful Izham Ramli, Amer Hamzah, Edmund Bon dan Leela J Jesuthasan.

Kumpulan peguam ini mungkin bertambah, kata Sankara.

Turut hadir di mahkamah pagi ini, peguam-peguam pemerhati bagi pihak Majlis Peguam dan badan-badan hak asasi manusia yang berpejabat di Washington, Paris dan Bangkok.

-malaysiakini

Laporan ini adalah dari Kak Salwa isteri Abang Bakaq aka penarik beca

Abang Bakaq ditahan di kediaman beliau di Taman Koperasi Polis Fasa 1 kira-kira jam 11.00 malam tadi. Empat orang polis lelaki dan seorang polis wanita berpakaian preman memperkenalkan diri bahawa mereka dari Bukit Aman. Kata mereka “saya datang kerana ada orang buat laporan polis terhadap Abang Bakaq dan blog yang di tulis. Abang Bakaq minta waran tangkap dari polis berkenaan,kata salah seorang dari polis tadi bahawa”polis Malaysia tidak perlu waran”.Hebat juga polis Malaysia ni kan,mungkin terlalu banyak tengok filem-filem aksi polis dari Hong Kong kot?

Jam 02.37 petang Kak Salwa di hubungi oleh Blak di hadapan kami dan ini berita yang kami terima dan diberitahu melalui perbualan telefon antara Blak dan Kak Salwa.

Pagi tadi beliau di hantar ke Balai polis Sentul dan pada jam 9 pagi tadi beliau di bawa ke Commercial Crime Division. Menurut kata Puan Salwa,Abang Bakaq mungkin ditahan sehingga esok atau sehingga siasatan selesai dijalankan.

Semoga Abang Bakaq dan juga isterinya Kak Salwa, tabah mengharungi dugaan ini. Doa saya dan juga rakan-rakan bloggers yang lain turut mengiringi Abang Bakaq sekeluarga. Ramai juga

Bloggers yang datang tadi dan pengalaman baru Nora bila dapat bersua muka dan mengenali bloggers dengan lebih rapat lagi. Kiranya macam majlis suai kenal para bloggers lah ni.

Esok pula,Nora ada kes mahkamah yang melibatkan kejadian di IPK tempoh hari. Berita ini diberitahu oleh penjamin Nora iaitu Encik Norazaidi pada jam 03.05 minit petang tadi dan Nora juga mohon doa dari allah swt agar jauhkan diri dari di aniayai dan menganiayai orang lain.

Berita yang baru Nora terima dari Blak sebentar tadi,Abang Bakaq di tahan reman sehari lagi.

Solidariti untuk Bakaq a.k.a Penarik Beca

Pagi-pagi lagi aku dapat tahu dari member, brader Bakaq kita kena tangkap. Dari apa yang aku tahu, dia kena tangkap pasai menghasut. Hasut apa? Hasut suruh orang merusuh? Berdemo? Kalau hasut orang suruh tolak Umno..ada la... Yang tu, aku pun buat.

Memang patut pun kalau suruh orang tolak Umno sebab perangai depa makin lama dah jadi macam binatang. Tak dak akai.

Ramai member-member bagi tau kat aku suruh slow sikit... hati-hati. Come on , brader! ini masa untuk kita terus melawan. Dan kali ini, jangan harap blogger kutu berahak saja yang lawan, manakala kerajaan PR buat tak tau pulak!

Baru dua tiga hari sudah, aku dok bersembang dengan kepimpinan PR Perak. Sebelum pilihanraya ke12 dulu, blogger kutu berahak ni la yang banyak membantu PR menumbangkan Umno. Blogger kutu berahak ni la yang peghabih duit simpanan, gadai gelang bini, untuk membantu PR. Tapi bila dah menang, sapa pun tak pandang blogger kutu berahak macam kami!
Pada 29/6 lalu, PKR menganjurkan Ceramah Ketuanan Rakyat kat Stadium Perak. Anwar sepatutnya hadir diceramah tersebut tapi dah kena tuduh pulak. Nasib baik Nik Aziz dapat cover.

Dulu, kalau ada mesej yang nak disampaikan, blogger la yang tolong sampaikan, tapi bila menang, ada panggil blogger bila buat sidang media? Sebaliknya depa panggil NST, Star, semua akhbar MSM. Suratkhabar ni ada buat promosi ka? haram tak dak.. Yang dok tolong promosi ialah blogger yang tak diundang.

Bila tiba malam ceramah, ada pemberita Harakah yang aku kenal datang jumpa aku mengadu sebab tak dibenarkan masuk, pasai tak ada kad media. Aku sendiri tak dibenarkan masuk kegrandstand untuk tangkap gambar! Sedangkan reporter dari akhbar-akhbar BN seronok duduk ambil gambar kat grandstand. Aku yang duduk dalam jawatankuasa sambutan pun tak boleh masuk!

Esoknya, ada cerita yang keluar dalam NST? Star? Berita Harian? Yang keluar hanyalah cerita-cerita dari blogger yang terpaksa merempat.

Tak cukup dengan itu, ada pemimpin PR yang menuduh blogger sebagai tukang fitnah, tukang hasut. Apa salah Bakaq? Pasai dia tentang muzakarah Pas -Umno? Yang tu aku pun buat. Apakah pasai dia kritik kepimpinan dia, maka dia dikatakan menghasut?
Pemimpin PR mesti buat sesuatu. Aku nak tengok sama ada kepimpinan PR akan bantu Bakaq atau nak jadikan Bakaq seteru depa. Kalau kepimpinan PR buat tak tau saja kat Bakaq, aku pun akan buat tak tau kat hangpa.

Pada bloggers yang lain, ini masa kita untuk bantu brader kita. Sapa yang ada maklumat, tolong sebarkan. Kita kena buat sesuatu untuk bantu brader Bakaq.

-Exclusive by mat saman kati

Sodomy II strengthens Anwar's support for Permatang Pauh by-election

AUG 7 – Conspiracy or not, the latest sodomy charge against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today is definitely additional ammunition for his Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.

Already gaining support from many quarters who find it repulsive that the authorities are charging the former deputy prime minister with sodomy again, Anwar is not the only one who is facing pressure to exonerate himself. The onus will be on Barisan Nasional to explain its stand.

As the case will only be mentioned on Sept 10, Anwar has ample time to garner more sympathy votes from his former constituents, particularly the 17,000-strong Permatang Pauh Umno members. There are 58,459 voters in the constituency with some 68 per cent Malay voters.

Anwar's wife, three-term MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, who vacated the seat to make way for her husband to contest won the recent general election with a 13,000-plus vote majority.

Anwar's aim to return to Parliament is also to strengthen his plan to entice BN MPs and state assemblymen to cross over to his Pakatan Rakyat side. Until now, he's technically a "nobody", just a de facto this and that.

But after Aug 26, barring any untoward incidents, he will make his comeback as a legitimate lawmaker. If the crossover occurs, he's all prepared to become the next Prime Minister – at least that's what his supporters want to believe.

Quick thinking from Pakatan Rakyat leaders also contributed to Anwar's campaign strategy. Today, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang announced that the PKR de facto leader would officially take over as the Parliamentary Opposition leader after polling day.

"This was one of the decisions taken unanimously by Pakatan Rakyat leaders of PKR, Pas and DAP at a meeting last night," he said.

While BN is still searching for its most formidable candidate to face off against Anwar, the federal opposition has already won the battle of public relations. Judging by recent surveys on the unpopularity of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Anwar is also expected to win the battle of perception.

It was victory over perception that gained the opposition five states and 83 parliamentary seats, denying BN a two-thirds majority, in the March 8 general election.

The Sodomy II allegations do not seem to have swayed the public perception against Anwar but rather remind them of the cruelty imposed on him a decade ago during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration.

Even the man who sacked Anwar from his government in 1998 couldn't believe the same charge, albeit different circumstances, was being used against his former political nemesis.

"Can it be that the present government is so stupid and unimaginative as to use the same 'ploy', especially after it was so happy over the release of Anwar? Surely it could come up with another story which would be more credible if it is deliberately plotting or conspiring against Anwar,' Dr Mahathir wrote in his blog last month.

Perhaps that's the reason Penang Umno leaders declared recently that they would not resort to Sodomy II as part of their election campaign, knowing it could easily backfire against the federal ruling coalition.

However, as the state opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim said, he couldn't guarantee BN campaigners from outside Penang would not.

Judging by Anwar's popularity in communicating simple messages of hope, including promises to reduce fuel prices and improve the economy, at his recent political roadshows, it is not far-fetched to think that his hometown audience will also be receptive.

A quick trip to the Permatang Pauh area, both the rural and semi-rural Penanti and Permatang Pasir state constituencies, shows the slow but steady development over the past 30 years. The urban Seberang Jaya constituency is bustling with commercial activities. Even Penang's Universtiti Teknologi Mara is located here.

To many locals, these are Anwar's contributions since he became MP in 1982. Politically he has fended off strong Pas challenges when he was in the BN government. Even when he was in jail, his wife Dr Wan Azizah managed to hold the fort for three terms, turning a strong BN stronghold into the opposition's.

Last Sunday night Anwar visited the constituency again, sharing with them details of the Sodomy II allegations which touched the audience's heart and confirmed their belief that the former deputy prime minister is indeed a victim of political conspiracy.

Anwar who has been lenient on Abdullah, usually mocking him only for his economic policies, came out strong against the Prime Minister yesterday when he accused him of being personally responsible for Sodomy II.

The battle lines have been drawn. Seizing upon Abdullah's current unpopularity, Anwar is assembling all available resources to create an impact for his homecoming by-election. With DAP leading the Pakatan state government in Penang, Anwar is also expected to get the fullest support from the same voters who chose his wife as their MP as well as those who may want to change their mind after voting BN in the recent general election.

-TMI

SAPP grouses about BN’s inaction over no-faith move

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 7 — Expecting to be sacked and be seen as heroes by the Sabah electorate, the Sabah Progressive Party expressed disappointment over the Barisan Nasional’s delay in deciding on the rebel party's status for not having confidence in Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership.

SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has refused to quit the ruling coalition despite having no faith in the Prime Minister, putting the decision in the hands of an embattled Abdullah who has faced calls to quit after the BN's dismal performance in the March 8 elections where it lost four more states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.

"The SAPP three-paragraph reply to the BN show-cause letter was so simple and clear because it was a mere reiteration of SAPP's loss of confidence in the PM announced on June 18 and endorsed by the supreme council on June 20. What is so complicated that the BN needs to study in detail?" Yong said in the statement issued late yesterday.

"Surely, the PM was stingy with the truth by saying that they (BN) need to study the SAPP letter in detail."

He said the party was "totally disappointed that the BN leadership has again put off a key decision affecting Sabah just in order for them to finish a by-election campaign (Permatang Puah) first".

"It shows that the BN has put their political interests above that of the people in Sabah," the former Sabah chief minister said.

But he vowed that SAPP will forge ahead to pursue its struggle based on its eight-point declaration and to fight against rapid rising costs that is causing hardship to the people

The tiny Chinese-based party contribute two MPs and four assemblymen under the BN banner. One of the Sabah assemblymen is a deputy chief minister in the Borneo state.

SAPP had decided on June 18 to either push or support a no-confidence motion against Abdullah but it turned out to be anti-climatic when both its lawmakers did not turn up for Parliament when it reconvened on June 24. Another attempt to support a Pakatan Rakyat motion failed in mid-July as it was rejected as it did not call for a vote.

-TMI

BN tetap berusaha walau apa jua cabaran - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) akan berusaha sedaya upaya untuk merampas semula kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh pada pilihan raya kecil 26 Ogos ini walaupun apa jua sentimen pengundi di kawasan itu, kata Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib yang juga Timbalan Presiden Umno berkata para pengundi di kawasan Parlimen itu wajar diberi pilihan dalam menentukan siapa yang mereka mahukan sebagai wakil mereka di Parlimen.

"Setiap kali ada pilihan raya kecil kita akan bertanding... tidak pernah BN tidak bertanding dalam pilihan raya kecil. Pengundi wajar diberi pilihan siapa yang mereka hendak sebagai wakil mereka," katanya ketika ditanya mengenai keyakinan BN untuk menawan kembali kerusi itu pada pilihan raya kecil nanti.

Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) semalam menetapkan penamaan calon bagi pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh pada 16 Ogos ini manakala pengundian pada 26 Ogos jika terdapat pertandingan.

Pilihan raya kecil itu diadakan berikutan tindakan Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail mengosongkannya bagi memberi peluang kepada suaminya Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bertanding di situ.

Setakat ini BN belum mengumumkan nama calon yang akan bertanding menentang Anwar di kawasan berkenaan.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi semalam mengumumkan bahawa nama calon hanya akan ditetapkan selepas perbincangan dengan Umno Bahagian Permatang Pauh.

• Hotel sekitar Permatang Pauh habis ditempah, sewa rumah naik mendadak
• Pilihan raya kecil peluang terbaik kerajaan tepis segala tuduhan - Shahrir
• Media disaran tidak keterlaluan buat laporan - Shabery
• Pakatan Rakyat sokong penuh Anwar bertanding
• Jangan termakan janji PKR untuk turun harga minyak
• Akim umum calon sehari sebelum penamaan calon

-mSTAR Online

Back to the future, but better prepared this time

Anwar leaves the court surrounded by a sea of Pakatan Rakyat allies and supporters.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Today must have seemed horribly familiar to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as he faced sodomy charges for the second time in 10 years.

But having faced it before in 1998, the veteran politician is now better armed to meet the latest onslaught of what he claims to be a malicious attempt to assassinate his character just as he is about to contest a by-election in Permatang Pauh, Penang which will likely pave his entry into Parliament.

"In this country, with this charge, nothing surprises me anymore," Anwar told reporters inside Sessions Criminal Court 1 at the Duta Court Complex here this morning.

"Until last night, the prime minister was still talking about rape. And now, it's consensual," he added, referring to the sodomy charge against him, made under Section 377B of the Penal Code, which refers to a charge of sodomy by consent. In Malaysia, sodomy, regardless of whether it is carried out between consenting adults or otherwise, is a crime.

"If it is consensual, both should be charged," Anwar contended. Calling the charge "ridiculous", he said that after 1998 nobody believes in the charge anymore, "except Dolah".

Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar, at a press conference nearby the court complex, commented that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old former male aide, should not be charged because he was the complainant.

In response to the minister's statement, Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair fired back: "In many cases, the complainant is lying. If a complainant is lying, he should be charged. So why in this case do we believe Saiful, but not Anwar?"

Anwar's courtroom drama today began a few minutes after 10am, when residing Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah stepped inside the smallish room crammed with lawyers, reporters and prominent members of Pakatan Rakyat, including the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng; and Pas's Dr Lo' Lo' Ghazali, the MP for Titiwangsa, and Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor MP).

When the court officer read the charge aloud to him, a smartly dressed and collected Anwar replied: "This is a malicious and treacherous slander. I am not guilty of the charge."

Speaking to reporters inside the courtroom while waiting for his release papers to be processed, he remarked on the difference.

"Before, when they charged me, I was in prison and had very limited access to lawyers," Anwar said in reference to Sodomy I.

Today, he has a battalion of lawyers at his disposal. The nine-member defence panel, led by an eloquent Sulaiman Abdullah, successfully argued their way to get him released on a personal bond without having to fork out any money or hand over his passport.

Anwar was amused by the prosecution's handling of the bail argument. They were unable to convince the judge why Anwar should not be allowed unconditional bail. Sulaiman had argued impassionatedly in support of his client's character and past co-operation with the police to assist in their investigations, which was attested by DSP Jude Pereira, the investigating officer in the Sodomy II case.

"I don't think they came prepared. I believe the A-G's Chambers are still under instructions. This is clearly a political game. The charge is clearly to embarrass me," said Anwar, adding "I'm not embarrassed by it."

Judge Komathy, in making her decision, said: "It is an elementary principle in the criminal justice process that a man is innocent until proven guilty. I do not think there is any likelihood that Datuk Seri will abscond. I'm going to release him on a personal bond for the sum of RM20,000 without surety."

The court gallery burst into raucous applause at her statement.

Anwar was pleased with the judge's decision. "She is a decent lady," he said, commenting on the way she had handled the court proceedings this morning, allowing both the prosecution and the defence team to argue the details of his bail.

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail too commended the judge for her fairness, as did DAP supremo and Ipoh Timur parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang.

"I think it is as it should be," commented Lim senior to The Malaysian Insider on Komathy's decision to allow Anwar out on a personal bond for the sum of RM20,000 but without surety.

"Anwar should not have been charged in the first place. I will call on the Solicitor-General in the Attorney-General's Chambers to reconsider that they dump the prosecution altogether. It's not good for the country to have another cause celebre which puts our execution of justice in the dock," he added.

Gary Gray, a political officer holding a watching brief for the US Embassy here who was also in the courtroom, remarked: "We're obviously watching the case closely. We're very happy so long as the due process of law is followed."

However, Anwar himself at the end of today's court hearing, has already moved on to the next important step, campaigning in the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election. Despite having the hometown advantage, he is not taking things lightly. He will be homeward bound this Saturday to begin what many are already calling the "Mother of All By-Elections".

klik picture to enlarge

Klik picture to enlarge.

-TMI

Hasutan: Bakaq@~penarik beca ditahan

kemaskini 4:23pm Penulis blog Abu Bakar A Rashid ditahan dan disiasat bawah Akta Hasutan, dipercayai berhubung bahan-bahan tulisan di lamannya [ Penarik Beca ].

Malaysiakini petang ini difahamkan, beliau akan ditahan sehari lagi.

Abu Bakar, seorang wartawan sambilan, ditahan di rumahnya di Gombak menjelang tengah malam tadi oleh sekumpulan anggota polis, kata peguamnya Mohamed Hanipa Maidin.

Penulis itu, yang juga dikenali Bakar Haq, kemudian dibawa dan disiasat di ibu pejabat polis bahagian jenayah perdagangan, Kuala Lumpur hingga saat ini.

"Saya cuba menemui Abu Bakar tetapi tidak berjaya kerana pegawai penyiasat tidak membenarkan atas alasan masih dalam siasatan,” kata Mohamed Hanipa kepada Malaysiakini.

"Berikutan itu saya tidak tahu apakah tunduhan yang akan dikenakan ke atas Abu Bakar.

"Saya tidak tahu artikel mana yang didakwa mempunyai unsur hasutan itu dan siapa yang membuat laporan polis terhadap Abu Bakar."

Polis sebelum ini pernah menahan beberapa penulis blog termasuk pengendali Malaysia Today Raja Petra Kamarudin bagi siasatan bawah akta yang sama.

Mohamed Hanipa yang juga ahli jawatankuasa pusat PAS menambah, beliau juga tidak tahu sama ada Abu Bakar akan ditahan reman atau dibebaskan hari ini.

Peguam itu berkata lagi, penahanan Abu Bakar mungkin bermotifkan politik dan untuk menakut-nakutkan penulis blog.

"Tidak manis polis melakukan tangkapan waktu malam dan di rumah beliau pula.

"Sepatutnya polis memberi notis terlebih dahulu kepada Abu Bakar sebelum menahannya," katanya lagi.

Mohamed Hanipa berkata, penahanan tersebut bertentangan dengan janji perdana menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi untuk mewujudkan kebebasan bersuara di kalangan rakyat.

-malaysiakini