MORE THAN 50 AUSTRALIAN LAWMAKERS HAVE SENT A FORMAL PROTEST CALLING ON MALAYSIA TO DROP THE ONGOING SODOMY TRIAL AGAINST OPPOSITION LEADER DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM.

Malaysian lawmakers object to Aussie MPs’ call on Anwar

PETALING JAYA: More than 50 Australian lawmakers have sent a formal protest calling on Malaysia to drop the ongoing sodomy trial against Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Member of governing Labor party Michael Danby handed the protest note to Malaysian High Commissioner Salman Ahmad in Canberra on Friday.

Danby was quoted in a foreign report as saying that the sodomy charges against Anwar should be dropped in the interest of building confidence in the impartial rule of law in Malaysia.

In an immediate response Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman expressed hope that those concerned would appreciate and respect the sovereignty of the Malaysian law.

The Malaysian law places priority on justice and rights of Malaysians regardless of their position and status, he said.

“The Foreign Ministry, will through the High Commission in Canberra, explain the facts pertaining to the trial of Anwar to all the MPs in Australia,’’ he said in a statement.

Independent MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali condemned the Australian lawmakers for interfering in the Malaysian judicial system.

“Every country has its own laws, and nobody is above the law. Every rakyat has a right to justice,’’ he said.

In Kota Kinabalu, the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) called on the Australian lawmakers to butt out of Malaysia’s internal affairs.

BNBBC vice chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said a letter bearing the message would be submitted to the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur after the Chinese New Year holidays.

He said the BNBBC was “extremely disappointed and concerned” over the demand made by the Australian lawmakers to drop the sodomy charges against Anwar.

“Their demand is tantamount to direct interference of a sovereign nation’s affairs. This is a dangerous precedent,’’ he said.

He said the Malaysian judiciary had the capacity to handle any trial “as it has been doing for the past 50 years or so.

“Our system works,” Rahman, adding that Anwar was represented by some of the country’s most prominent lawyers such as Karpal Singh.