Dark. Bleak. Grim.
These are the words that flashed through one's mind when arriving at newly-incarcerated Anwar Ibrahim's residence in Segambut last night.
Although informed that Anwar's family members and supporters would either be at the PKR headquarters or at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre, the darkness and silence around the house still struck as oddly disconcerting.
Nevertheless, it was only natural to talk to Anwar's staff who had been stationed at the guard post of the house.
Asked
about the guilty verdict of the Federal Court for Anwar in his Sodomy
II conviction yesterday, Anwar's driver said it was impossible for him
not to be affected by the outcome.
"Of course I am sad, I have been with him for 32 years," Abdullah Sani, 55, told Malaysiakini.
"We have even slept together in the same room and nothing happened!
"And I am more handsome than Saiful," Abdullah, a father of seven, quipped, much to my amusement.
He also denied that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who accused Anwar of sodomy, was ever Anwar’s aide.
"He was just Anwar's former aide Rahimi Osman's friend. He followed Rahimi everywhere and always took the opportunity to make it look as though he is close to Anwar," Abdullah said.
Accused by village folk
Meanwhile, one of Anwar's aides, Baderol Hisam Yusof, said he had always been accused by his village folk of having been sodomised by Anwar.
"Oh well, I am willing to be sodomised by Anwar because at least I get to become a millionaire," he said, alluding to allegations that Saiful was "bought" by the BN government to end Anwar's political career.
On a more serious note, Baderol (right) said that he would not want to work with Anwar if he indeed was a sodomiser.
"Also, why is it that it was Saiful, who was allegedly sodomised, when there are other bodyguards who are more good looking than he is?" Baderol asked.
Admitting that although their salaries were not high, Anwar's driver and bodyguards said they just wanted to help, however they could, Anwar and his family.
"They are good people. Where can you find such an employer who mostly repeats prayers (berzikir) in the car?" Baderol said of Anwar's wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The 42-year-old, who had served Anwar between the years 2002 and 2004 before he resumed working for Anwar last year, also lamented that Anwar's guilty verdict was a "sentence" for all his workers as well.
"So what do we do now? For the younger bodyguards who just got married and have young children, what do they do?"
Abdullah, on the other hand, said he was especially woeful, and he noted that Wan Azizah had her own personal driver.
‘Easy’ for those who don’t like him...
Meanwhile, Baderol said it was simply "easy" for those who did not like Anwar to jail him.
"Do they think that by putting him in jail, the country's economy will improve?
"The government's policies have never changed since the first sodomy case until now. They view Anwar as a burden while we view him as an idol," he said.
Commenting on the Federal Court's unanimous decision, Baderol said that in itself was proof that the problem lies with the judiciary.
"It is so obvious when the verdict is 5-0 in convicting Anwar. It just shows something is corrupted. Are you trying to fool the rakyat?"
As for the general public, Baderol had only this to say.
"People should not just rely on what they read and see. I say this because I see that there is no effort to come and get to know more (of the truth).
Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria (left) in declaring the guilty verdict yesterday said there is “overwhelming evidence” that Saiful was sodomised by Anwar as there is “substantial scientific and corroborative evidence”.
However, Justice Arifin said the five-year jail sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal would not be enhanced.
Anwar was sent to the Sungai Buloh Prison yesterday to begin his sentence.
These are the words that flashed through one's mind when arriving at newly-incarcerated Anwar Ibrahim's residence in Segambut last night.
Although informed that Anwar's family members and supporters would either be at the PKR headquarters or at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre, the darkness and silence around the house still struck as oddly disconcerting.
Nevertheless, it was only natural to talk to Anwar's staff who had been stationed at the guard post of the house.
Asked
about the guilty verdict of the Federal Court for Anwar in his Sodomy
II conviction yesterday, Anwar's driver said it was impossible for him
not to be affected by the outcome."Of course I am sad, I have been with him for 32 years," Abdullah Sani, 55, told Malaysiakini.
"We have even slept together in the same room and nothing happened!
"And I am more handsome than Saiful," Abdullah, a father of seven, quipped, much to my amusement.
He also denied that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who accused Anwar of sodomy, was ever Anwar’s aide.
"He was just Anwar's former aide Rahimi Osman's friend. He followed Rahimi everywhere and always took the opportunity to make it look as though he is close to Anwar," Abdullah said.
Accused by village folk
Meanwhile, one of Anwar's aides, Baderol Hisam Yusof, said he had always been accused by his village folk of having been sodomised by Anwar.
"Oh well, I am willing to be sodomised by Anwar because at least I get to become a millionaire," he said, alluding to allegations that Saiful was "bought" by the BN government to end Anwar's political career.
On a more serious note, Baderol (right) said that he would not want to work with Anwar if he indeed was a sodomiser."Also, why is it that it was Saiful, who was allegedly sodomised, when there are other bodyguards who are more good looking than he is?" Baderol asked.
Admitting that although their salaries were not high, Anwar's driver and bodyguards said they just wanted to help, however they could, Anwar and his family.
"They are good people. Where can you find such an employer who mostly repeats prayers (berzikir) in the car?" Baderol said of Anwar's wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The 42-year-old, who had served Anwar between the years 2002 and 2004 before he resumed working for Anwar last year, also lamented that Anwar's guilty verdict was a "sentence" for all his workers as well.
"So what do we do now? For the younger bodyguards who just got married and have young children, what do they do?"
Abdullah, on the other hand, said he was especially woeful, and he noted that Wan Azizah had her own personal driver.
‘Easy’ for those who don’t like him...
Meanwhile, Baderol said it was simply "easy" for those who did not like Anwar to jail him.
"Do they think that by putting him in jail, the country's economy will improve?
"The government's policies have never changed since the first sodomy case until now. They view Anwar as a burden while we view him as an idol," he said.
Commenting on the Federal Court's unanimous decision, Baderol said that in itself was proof that the problem lies with the judiciary.
"It is so obvious when the verdict is 5-0 in convicting Anwar. It just shows something is corrupted. Are you trying to fool the rakyat?"
As for the general public, Baderol had only this to say."People should not just rely on what they read and see. I say this because I see that there is no effort to come and get to know more (of the truth).
Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria (left) in declaring the guilty verdict yesterday said there is “overwhelming evidence” that Saiful was sodomised by Anwar as there is “substantial scientific and corroborative evidence”.
However, Justice Arifin said the five-year jail sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal would not be enhanced.
Anwar was sent to the Sungai Buloh Prison yesterday to begin his sentence.
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