The filing of the appeal against Anwar Ibrahim's recent acquittal on the charge of sodomy is an outrageous example of the unscrupulous abuse of state powers, said PKR vice president N Surendran.

"The motive for the appeal is to jail Anwar and hinder Pakatan Rakyat from winning federal power in the coming general election," Surendran said.

NONE "This appeal is further evidence since Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's promises of change and reform are nothing more than a massive and hypocritical fraud upon the people of this nation."

On Jan 13, in a Wall Street Journal report, when commenting on Anwar's acquittal, Najib said that it was important "that we move forward".

The prime minister added that "the acquittal would likely help to convince critics that the government doesn't interfere in politically charged judicial cases".

In a statement yesterday, Surendran disputed the claim by the Attorney-General's Chambers that the decision to appeal was based on evidence.

"In fact, the appeal is politically motivated, legally unsound and influenced by the ruling BN party." 

Surendran added that this abuse of power had become the trademark of the BN coalition over the past 54 years of its corrupt and authoritarian rule.

Meanwhile, Aliran in a statement today said the decision to appeal was no surprise and based on the track record of the judiciary, it would not be difficult to predict the outcome of the appeal.

NONE Aliran president P Ramakrishnan said the intention was not to give Anwar the breathing space to campaign in the coming general election and deny him his fundamental rights so as to ensure the very survival of the BN.

"The only person who can wreak havoc and destroy the entrenched power of the BN through Pakatan Rakyat is Anwar and therefore he must be put away.

"And to give this political plot a semblance of legality, knowing Malaysians argue, the judiciary has to play the subservient role (in the appeal) that it has been accustomed to since 1988," Ramakrishnan said.