Fair Enough

Malaysia's former police chief walked free on bail yesterday after receiving a two-month jail sentence for assaulting the former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in a police cell.

Abdul Rahim Noor slapped, punched and karate-kicked the opposition politician, causing him to pass out on the floor. Anwar was handcuffed and blindfolded during the attack, which took place on the night he was arrested in 1998.

Rahim was granted bail while he appeals against the jail term. His lawyers said the sentence was too harsh but a human rights group, Suaram, called it "merely a light slap on his wrist".
"I don't think the public will be satisfied with the sentence imposed," said Anwar's lawyer, Karpal Singh. "This was an assault on a defenceless man who was blindfolded, handcuffed at the back and assaulted, not just anywhere but in the inner sanctum, the headquarters of the police force."

Mr Karpal has called on the attorney general to allow an appeal against the sentence on the grounds that it is "far too lenient".
Anwar is serving a six-year sentence for misuse of power. He is currently on trial for sodomy and faces up to 20 additional years in jail if he is convicted.
His wife, Wan Azizah, who was recently elected to parliament for the National Justice party, described the two-month term for Rahim as "minimal", pointing out that many Malaysians have been sent to jail for longer periods just for taking part in opposition demonstrations.

Comparisons between the treatment of Anwar and his attacker "leave Malaysians with a sense that something is very wrong in their system of justice", said opposition politician Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the Democratic Action party.

Unlike Rahim, Anwar was not allowed bail during his trial or while awaiting an appeal. Anwar was quickly brought to trial while it took a year for Rahim's case to be heard.

There is also concern that the prosecution agreed to reduce the charges against Rahim at the last minute without giving any reason. Rahim then changed his plea to guilty.

His lawyers said he always put the interests of the nation before his own and in this case he wanted to "save the government from further international embarrassment, especially in the western media".
(picked from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/mar/16/malaysia by Frances Harrison in Kuala Lumpur Thursday March 16 2000)
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* police officer sentenced for 1 month = civil people sentenced for 12 months
(think deeply before you talk)