A conspiracy plot orchestrated by Anwar Ibrahim?

The sodomy saga that Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of again attracted public opinion and media interest both domestically and internationally. This is one of the political stories that attracted the most public attention. Unknowingly, the media seem to play a vital role to blow this matter up.

The aide, 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, had lodged a police report alleged that the PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him at a luxury condominium in Damansara last Thursday, became the most talked about in Malaysia.

The sordid news still stirs the imagination of a lot of Malaysians. Agreed or disagreed with the majority, ironically, Saiful now stands accused of being part of a conspiracy plot orchestrated by politicians from the Barisan Nasional government to defame or have Anwar Ibrahim jailed once again.

The incident suffices to discern three basic schools of thought among the public. The first one believed that what has been accused of is true; the second one believed that the allegations are conspiracy plot orchestrated by politicians from the Barisan Nasional government to block the political resurgence of Anwar Ibrahim and the third one still in mass confusion and trying to figure out the bigger picture of the reality of the incident.

Either the reality or play-acting seek to hold a candle to perception, it is implying that it is the alleged conspiracy. However, Mr Anwar, 60, denies the allegations, which he says are designed to block his political resurgence. On Sunday morning, Anwar took refuge at the residence of the Turkish ambassador, claiming that he had gone there because he feared for his personal safety after receiving death threats earlier in the week.

The former deputy prime minister wrote in his blog that he had sought refuge at the Turkish embassy at the invitation of the ambassador TO Malaysia Barlas Ozener.

“I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning (Sunday). I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish ambassador for extending an invitation to me to seek refuge within the embassy,” he said. He said he would stay there until the government could guarantee his safety.

Interestingly, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim went to the Turkish Embassy on his own and not on an invitation from Ambassador Barlas Ozener.

He said Ozener told him that Anwar had come on “his own accord for a visit” and at the end of the visit, had asked if he could be there for some time.

Ozener was summoned to Wisma Putra yesterday to explain claims by Anwar that he was invited by the ambassador to seek refuge at the embassy.

Dr Rais said, we accepted the ambassador’s explanation that there was no invitation on his part for Anwar to seek refuge at his place. His presence there was also not for political asylum and just on humanitarian grounds. We take his explanation at face value until there comes a time when we perceive it differently.

Dr Rais said Malaysia was concerned that getting protection or shelter from foreign missions would become a trend for those who violated the country’s law.

“I believe that Anwar is doing this for political purposes. I don’t think his claim that his life is being threatened is genuine or he would want to get protection from our authorities and let them take action against the perpetrators. I don’t know what Anwar has to fear. Why fear? He is such a brave, eloquent and resourceful personality. To use embassies for his international political gambit is rather out of taste,” he said.

Dramatically, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ended his one-day refuge at the Turkish ambassador's residence Monday. He left the residence at 6.45pm in a black sports utility vehicle together with his wife Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who had arrived about 10 minutes earlier.

At a PKR press conference and later all over blogs and the Internet - pictures of Saiful and various BN politicians were distributed. Besides posing with ministers like Shahrir Abdul Samad, Azalina Othman Said and Mustapa Mohamed, Saiful has also taken pictures with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's special officer Khairil Anas Yusof. Najib denied any involvement with Saiful.

Abdullah and his ministers have strongly denied any involvement in the latest case against Anwar.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar accused Anwar of staging a drama and said that he was perfectly safe. "No one has endangered his life, a private person has made a police report against him. You should allow the police to investigate," he told reporters.

"It is play-acting on the part of Anwar to gain sympathy, to show that his life is in danger. I give guarantees that his life will be protected, his life is not under threat at all."

Anwar's lawyers on Monday 30 Jun 2008 filed a writ at the High Court charging the young man with libel and filing a false police report, saying the complaint was malicious and designed to destroy his political career.

After considering the sequence of the incidents happened and analyzing the multi-dimensional aspect that one should be borne in mind that how pictures of Saiful and various BN politicians were obtained by Datin Seri Wan Azizah to distribute at a PKR press conference and later all over blogs and the Internet? Is it the picture intentionally to plot against Najib? Is it no other issue better than sodomy saga to plot against Anwar?

Anwar said he sought refuge at the Turkish embassy at the invitation of the ambassador to Malaysia Barlas Ozener.

Interestingly, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim went to the Turkish Embassy on his own and not on an invitation from Ambassador Barlas Ozener.

The questions really remain, is it a well-planned fabrication or a conspiracy plot orchestrated by the desperate Anwar Ibrahim?

The only answer is, the police should investigate the story as the public wants to get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.