COMMENT As the Federal Court delivered its verdict on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim over Sodomy II on Tuesday, there were a couple of things which did not make media headlines.

For instance, we all know that during the trial as well as at the various appeals at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court are heard, international observers and foreign dignitaries were in court to follow the case up-front.

But what one may not know or realise was the number of Special Branch personnel who observed the trial as well.

Not only were the Special Branch police involved, but also personnel from the Special Affairs Department as well. I also believe personnel from the military intelligence turned up in court albeit they were difficult to pin-point.

These various security personnel were among the people seated in the public gallery at the courts of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, nonchalantly mingling with reporters, party supporters, family members and yes, the international observers.

During my lengthy coverage of the case, I remembered a policewoman who regularly attended the trial. Her specialty - from what I understand - was lip-reading.

She was not there to observe the court proceedings but to read Anwar's lips, especially his conversation with his lawyers.

One popular anecdote shared by the court reporters tells of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recognising this particular police officer in court one day.

She recalled that during the 'reformasi' period of the late 1990s before Anwar's arrest, this policewoman posed as a sympathiser and would regularly come to their Bukit Damansara home.

It is believed that the police officer reported to higher powers to whom even the smallest snippet regarding her husband seemed to hold some fascination.

Wan Azizah was then said to have approached that policewoman on the sidelines of the court proceedings that day and politely asked her how she was.

The policewoman was never seen again.

Four men in black coats

But 'out of sight, not out of mind' could well be the Special Branch's motto. It was previously reported that the government had allocated RM393.6 million last year for the various police security intelligence divisions.

With this, the objective of the Special Branch is to ensure security through both covert and open security activities against threats posed to the country by communists, subversives and extremists.

A recent parliamentary reply seemed to indicate that their activities have been increasing with the number of personnel in the Special Branch last year totalling 8,196.

During press conferences often held after Anwar's court cases, I often noticed unfamiliar 'media personnel' scampering about with small video cameras to record the press conferences.

These ultra-modern video cameras are compact and light compared to the bulky ones that media cameramen carry.

At Tuesday's verdict, the press corps noticed the bench in front of them had been reserved for four persons in black coats and ties.

As soon as Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria finished reading the verdict, the four ‘men in black’ sprang into action and tailed Anwar in the courtroom.

They ended their ‘duty’ by escorting the opposition leader and handing him over to Prisons Department personnel stationed at the courtroom.

There have been questions asked by federal opposition lawmaker Liew Chin Tong on whether the police are misplacing their priorities by spying for the powers-that-be. He also asked whether the expenditure allocated to them was being used to keep BN in power.

Possibly Anwar’s trial is just one example where our enforcement agencies' resources could have been better utilised elsewhere.