ANWAR IBRAHIM: MY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

ANWAR IBRAHIM: MY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

TEDX, Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, November 15, 2014.

My name is Anwar Ibrahim. I am from Malaysia. I used to be the deputy prime minister. I am now the opposition leader. I am waiting for the federal court decision whether to affirm my conviction and sentencing of 5 years imprisonment or be acquitted of the charge.

It is great to be back here in Georgetown University. My wife used to tell me the best years were spent here at the university. This discourse about  education as ‘excellence without a soul’ must resonate quite well here because the issue of faith, values, ethics and social justice is strongly entrenched and embedded in this university.

Let me share for a moment my journey which is not as elaborate as Ithaca’s. Azizah would paraphrase that as Robert Frost’s ‘less travelled to seldom travelled’ or ‘travelled only by crazy people’.

I begin with the 70’s. I was a social leader, a student activist. At that time in the northern provinces, there were reports of grinding poverty and even starvation. So we led mass demonstrations and the response was mass arrests. The demonstrations lasted about two weeks, I was then detained under the notorious Internal Security Act ISA which like the sedition laws was introduced by the then colonial English but it was still applied. Mass arrests then became mass detentions. So I was imprisoned for two years. ISA meant no trial, no due process, just one mighty stroke of the pen and that was it. 2 or 10 years was purely the discretion of the home affairs minister.

Then after 2 years of incarceration I was released. I continued my work with Muslim youth, with Malaysian youth, with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus together in the Malaysian Youth Council, talking about reform, social justice, freedom and democracy. I always believe that Malaysia as a developing country must mature as a democracy. It must respect the rule of law and freedom of conscience.

Then I joined the government believing seriously in the need for reform within the system of governance. I rose very quickly from deputy minister to full minister, to minister of finance and becoming deputy prime minister. And media reports of sorts like appearing on the cover of TIME magazine did not actually help because the bosses do not like that. Naturally you are seen as a serious competitor.

Then came the dreadful incident of September 1998. Because I was clamouring for reform, for change within the system, and I introduced major changes in anti corruption laws, I naturally had to face the wrath of the very corrupt in the country.

Malaysia as you know in the 90’s was a star in South East Asia, highest growth rate, highest market capitalization, second only to Singapore in terms of competitiveness and highest in terms of foreign direct investments FDI. But we have a major problem of growing Genie coefficient between the very rich and the very poor. This inequality becomes a problem. And the issues of governance have not been addressed. When there was growing criticism against some of the obsolete policies including semi-authoritarian forms of governance, then I took it up within the system hoping to reform.

As a result, I had to take this kind of treatment. I was arrested and badly assaulted as you know. And I had the honour of being beaten up not by an ordinary policeman but by the Inspector General of Police himself while I was handcuffed. So I have learnt from my experience how to make a choice in appointing an IGP. The result were huge demonstrations and mass gatherings. The police reaction as expected and anticipated was brutal with mass arrests. I had been assaulted and left untreated for 5 days near death, by lethal blows from the IGP. And the response from the then Prime Minister was dismissive suggesting, “Anwar is a showman and the wounds were self inflicted.” But thanks to the support of the international media, civil society, organisations like HRW and Amnesty International, notable friends, Mary Robinson who met my daughter and gave her support, time and encouragement, John Howard of Australia, BJ Habibie of Indonesia, Estrada of the Philippines and of course my great friend Al Gore who was very clear and pronounced his remarks in defence of freedom and reform – ‘reformasi’.

So another 6 years of solitary confinement was added to the earlier 2 making it 8 years. This prison cell was my home for 6 years. Not that bad actually, I still had a bed. And a place for beautiful contemplation, meditation, reading the classics, four and a half times for the entire works of Shakespeare with copious notes. So if you envision doing those things, go to prison. Yes the great classics. Many of my colleagues here, dons, deans were very helpful. They just sent books. So you had time to read the classics, religious texts, the Qur’an, the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, Confucius and classics from Anna Akhmatova to Pasternak, you name it.

Religious scholars would expect me reading the Qur’an, praying and meditating, which I did. But I also did other things. I was also being busy singing Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Neil Sedaka and the Beatles. I even sang some Hindi songs and national songs. So there is a lot of advantage if you start memorising songs from now because when you get into trouble, there is time to reflect and time to relax by singing loudly because nobody disturbs you.

Then in September 2004, the federal court overturned the guilty verdict and I was a free man. One of the first visits was at the invitation of President Nelson Mandela. He invited my entire family to Johannesburg. I had long conversations with Mandela. He was looking at my children, they were still young in those days in 2004. And there was a tinge of sadness when he remarked, “Anwar, I am sorry I was not able to do more for you. They say we are crazy to inflict harm to ourselves, wife, kids, family and friends.” I responded and said, “Madiba, we are not mad but crazy for sure. But you know we derive much strength and support from knowing you and reading about you. I was in prison and one of the great books was ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’ and mine is certainly a ‘short walk to freedom’.” Then he burst out laughing. But this legendary and great Mandela was not talking about his trials and tribulations. He was focussing on mine. I get a bit embarrassed because it was nothing compared to what he had to endure.

I would again refer to Georgetown because after I was released, other than a short stint at Oxford and John Hopkins, President DeGioia, Professors Esposito and Voll invited me to join the teaching staff here. And as I said, I reiterate it is a great institution because I share a lot in terms of my understanding of the concept of education, the philosophy, the ideals in terms of excellence, honour and dignity, ethics and morality which are strongly embedded in this great institution.

Then in 2008, I had to leave because I was needed and involved in leading a broad coalition of the Malaysian opposition for the general elections. It is not the kind of elections as you know. You do not have a free media. I don’t have a minute of air time in TV. But still we managed to garner a substantial number of support at that time. Now because of that support, media covers portray me as in Newsweek as coming from ‘hell and back’ not knowing that soon afterwards it was ‘back to hell’.

Rarely before there was popular demand for free and fair elections. In 2013, we garnered 53% of the popular vote but don’t look surprised, I am still leader of the opposition with only 40% of the seats in parliament. So I seem to have some thing in common with Al Gore. But this explains the role of the youth. They demanded that I wear black in protest. There was a huge campaign and large rallies supported by the youth condemning fraud in the elections because we had the popular vote but was still unable to govern.

I alluded earlier about the high court acquittal. Then the court of appeal convicted me and sentenced me to 5 years for what we call sodomy II. It was a sequence. It was sodomy with clear clinical findings of ‘no penetration’. But it can only happen to a ‘superman’ like me.

So I have been given a choice. Friends here including former vice president Al Gore was asking me, “Why do you need to return?” knowing well the system of governance and rule of law in Malaysia. I told him I owe it to the Malaysians. How do I explain to my young friends and their children, to continue with the struggle for reform, for justice, for Malays, Chinese, Indians, all of the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak, and others. If I opt for an easier route, I shall be leaving them to continue with the struggle. So I have to return.

I am blessed with a great family. Azizah and the children are not only supportive but fully committed to the ideals of the struggle. And more importantly, I owe it to Malaysians, Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans and all who believe in the cause of the struggle, for freedom, for democracy, for the rule of law, for freedom of conscience. And if it requires a small effort and sacrifice, it has to be done.

And I am also grateful for the support of not only Malaysians but also from other parts of the world including graduates of this university. One of the most active for their support, social network, Facebook and twitter are graduates from Georgetown University. So I must use this occasion to thank them for their support.

I am optimistic. The federal court will decide in a matter of days or weeks. If they decide to convene, I have to return. But I am optimistic.

But if the worst case scenario happens, I have to return not to the country but back to prison. Then please lend me some good classics to read.

But I think the cause for democracy, for freedom, for justice is not a theoretical construct. It is what Tocqueville referred to as habits of the heart. It is an issue of conviction. It is an issue of courage of conviction, of tenacity, of purpose. It is a principle that we cannot compromise with.

We are born to be free.  No dictator, no authoritarian leader can rob that freedom from us.

Thank You.

(Transcribed from Anwar Ibrahim’s TEDX at Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, November 15, 2016)