I was just a primary school boy when the whole Sodomy 1 sandiwara was played out for the world to see. As a boy, I did not fully understand everything about the case nor did I fully understand why there was such a big fuss over Anwar's sacking, trial and subsequent imprisonment. What I did know was that on the day that Anwar led a massive rally in Kuala Lumpur, I was supposed to go on an outing with my mom but my mom cancelled the outing at the last minute because she was worried about safety. I remember being disappointed that the outing was cancelled and asking why. I remember discovering that the Anwar who was sacked was the same Anwar who gave me duit raya when I attended his Hari Raya open house in Cherok Tokun in 1997.
My disappointment about the cancelled outing led me to develop an interest in the case. In order to satisfy my curiosity about the Anwar saga, I began reading the newspapers, a habit which I have maintained till today. I came across many unfamiliar terms, notably sodomy. Looking the term up in an encyclopedia, I learnt what the word meant and discovered that men could have sex with men.
I remember being shocked by the images of a bruised and battered Anwar which I saw in the newspapers after his brutal assault by then IGP Rahim Noor came to light. I remember thinking to myself, if a deputy prime minister could suffer such a fate, what more normal civilians like myself. Anwar is no saint, but he is still human and he and all other victims of police brutality in Malaysia should not have suffered what they suffered.
I remember that I eventually lost interest in the case because I could not understand all the dynamics about it. My interest in the case would only be revived back in 2004 when Anwar was acquitted from his sodomy charge and I began to read up again on his trial and the Reformasi era.
I am now on the verge of adulthood. Once again Anwar Ibrahim is in the news. Once again he is facing a sodomy charge. I am no longer the ignorant innocent boy that I was back in 1998. I am now convinced that Anwar was the victim of a high level conspiracy back in 1998. The signs so far seem to point to the fact that the Sodomy 2 trial is a front for another conspiracy to bring Anwar down. I won't write about the facts of the case as others more informed and more qualified than me have already done so. But what I want to say is that the Sodomy 1 fiasco led to me developing an interest in human rights and politics in Malaysia. It also sparked the Reformasi era which was a time of political awakening for many Malaysians. If Sodomy 2 sparks Reformasi 2, then it may now be my turn experience political awakening.
In Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong's book "Speaking for the Reformasi Generation", he reflects on how he and many others came of age politically during the Reformasi generation. I am not one of the Reformasi generation but I may soon be one of the Reformasi 2 generation, if there is a Reformasi 2.
I have never tasted tear gas nor spent a night in prison though that day could soon come. I hope and pray that I will have the courage to stand up for my principles and rights and beliefs when the time calls for it. I hope and pray that if I ever join the struggle for a better Malaysia, the experiences I gain will bind me together with my prospective comrades.
That's all for now. The post is a little long and the structure is a little choppy but I have never been an excellent writer. Maybe I should blog more then so I can get more practice.
