Among the recent letters to malaysiakini , not a few have criticised Anwar Ibrahim for not trusting the Malaysian government to have his spine surgery performed locally. They talk as if Anwar is just an ordinary prisoner.

But Anwar is Malaysia's most extraordinary prisoner. He has suffered the severest cruelties and injustices ever accorded a Malaysian. These cruelties and injustices have been inflicted on him by the hands of none other than the head of government (Dr Mahathir Mohamed), the head of police (Rahim Noor) and the head of judiciary (Mohamed Dzaiddin).

There should be little wonder why Anwar does not trust the Malaysian government in undergoing a local operation that is fraught with the risk of permanent paralysis.

In case I am accused of making exaggerated statements, let me narrate a thing or two to refresh our memories.

1) On the night he was taken prisoner six years ago, a blindfolded and handcuffed Anwar was battered to within an inch of his life by the then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rahim Noor. With the badly injured Anwar left untreated for days on the floor of his cell, the IGP assured the international press that Anwar was 'safe and sound' and in 'good hands'.

2) After Anwar's injury was exposed to the world with his appearance in court with the famous black eye, Mahathir suggested at an international press conference that Anwar's injury was self-inflicted to gain sympathy.

Both the IGP and the premier had lied through their teeth and laid bare to the world their deceitfulness in relation to the near fatal assault on Anwar Ibrahim.

3) During the course of Anwar's trial on the sodomy charge in 1999, the world was stunned by the revelation that Anwar's urine smuggled out secretly from his prison cell was tested in Gibbles Pathology Laboratory in Melbourne and was found to have contained 230 micrograms of arsenic per gram of creatinine (a waste by-product of urine).

This test result was starkly consistent with symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning exhibited by Anwar then, for which he was hospitalised. Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) confirmed then that Anwar was suffering from symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning such as severe hair loss, numbness of fingers and sudden loss of weight.

Significantly, HUKM failed to find any disease in Anwar that could satisfactorily account for these unusual symptoms, in spite of extremely exhaustive medical examinations by many medical specialists. These facts speak for themselves.

Subsequent investigations under the auspices of the government not only failed to dispel the suspicion of arsenic poisoning but the dubious manner with which these investigations were carried out further deepened the suspicions.

4) The infamous trials of Anwar Ibrahim over the past six years stand as the most naked transgression of justice in this nation's history. These trials were soundly condemned by all authoritative international jurist bodies, human rights organisations and governments of established democracies such as USA, Australia, European Union nations etc. Successive US presidents (Clinton and Bush) have steadfastly called Anwar a political prisoner.

To this day, the country's highest court continues to inflict fresh wounds on Anwar and fresh scars on the nation's judicial annals by its recent action to deny Anwar bail against all logic and reasons and to abruptly postpone their judgment without reason.

5) The Human Rights Commission, Suhakam, has ruled on legal and moral grounds that Anwar be allowed to receive medical treatment of his choice. In spite of this Suhakam ruling and in spite of the fast deterioration of Anwar's spinal injury to the point of imminent paralysis, the government persists in refusing Anwar the medical treatment of his choice.

The persistent mauling of Anwar in the courts and the persistent denial of vital and critical medical treatment can only lead to one conclusion in spite of change of baton from Mahathir to Abdullah, the course of Anwar's political oblivion as crafted by the original plotters must be kept on course, come what may.

Political oblivion in this case means Anwar must be kept in prison to wither away physically and mentally until he cannot stand up to the powers-that-be.

True, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahamd Badawi is not among the original plotters, but he now holds the key to Anwar's survival as a decent human being. He has so far turned the key to locking position, but it is still not too late for him to turn the same key in the opposite direction to undo what has been done on Anwar, at least partially.

The nation has been elated with expectations of a new moral era when Abdullah took over the leadership from an overstayed autocrat. These expectations were further heightened following the nation's thumping endorsement of his leadership through an unprecedented election victory.

However, nine months into his premiership, I can only sum up Abdullah's reform ambitions in these famous words: 'The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.'

We can see decency and honest intentions gleaming from his eyes (and tears) and flowing from his words, but we see little concrete action on the ground. There is no doubt Abdullah is fighting a steep uphill battle. However, like a 'Mission Impossible' episode, we cannot rule out completely that his mission will not eventually bear fruit.

While Abdullah continues his hard sell as an incorruptible and humane leader who will turn a new leaf for this country, how will he face the world when Anwar Ibrahim, once a revered world leader, is extinguished in his supposed humane hands? Would that not be the final nail in the coffin that would bury his image as a humane reformer?

While Abdullah might psychologically overcome the impact of such a nightmare through a process known as self-rationalisation, is he absolutely sure that he would not mind what future historians may write of him being instrumental in the demise of a most illustrious son of the soil?

As a Malay, is Abdullah prepared to be the crucifer of Anwar's fate, bearing in mind that Anwar has enjoyed the love and affection of the Malay masses on a scale unsurpassed by any other leader?

On the other hand, what if Abdullah lets justice take its course and Anwar is set free? That, of course, would be Abdullah's biggest coup to date as a reformist leader. It will restore some shine and credibility to his dimming image as an action-orientated reformer.

It will also signal that he has finally made a clean break from his predecessor who has been widely viewed as a major stumbling block to Anwar's freedom in particular and to Abdullah's reform agenda in general.

A single action by Abdullah to let justice take its course would certainly speak louder than his thousand words of lofty ideals. It may unleash a ground swell of respect and confidence in Abdullah's leadership, strengthen his authority and re-invigorate his reforms.

This is not to say that Abdullah has no political worries of a free Anwar. If Anwar's health could be sufficiently restored (and that is a big if), he would certainly re-emerge as a formidable political force. But that need not be a minus to Abdullah.

First, just like Abdullah himself, Anwar is a decent man of strong religious and moral principles. Abdullah should rest assured that whatever Anwar does, it will not be detrimental to the country or unjust to any individual. Being a man of integrity, Abdullah has no reason to fear any morally unacceptable vengeful act in this connection.

Second, Abdullah has been resoundingly acclaimed as the undisputed leader within his party and for his countrymen, and the course of action charted for the country has met with overwhelming support.

The scepticism is not with Abdullah's ideals but with the wherewithal. Has he got what it takes to make it work? Has he got the necessary base to effectively launch his agenda? Mixed reviews from the public indicate that the people are happy with the direction but unhappy with the speed.

Leftover obstacles from the previous autocrat are hindering the way. What we need is more boldness and more confidence to amass greater momentum for a people-oriented course.

Perhaps, freeing Anwar may be just the kind of impetus needed to propel Abdullah's steam-less leadership forward into the next gear of accelerated action.

If Abdullah is patriotic and confident as a leader, he should welcome competition from another patriotic group such as that led by Anwar to offer selfless service to the nation. He should display such leadership quality now by doing what is right for Anwar.

To Abdullah, it is not only a question of doing what is right, but also a question of whether he can afford to do what is not right.