‘With the current credibility of our police force and AG, I believe it would take more than international experts for the rakyat to believe in fair investigations for Anwar.’

On Police mull court action to get DNA

Raymond: The government is currently proposing that international experts be brought in to examine the DNA evidence of DSAI when or if he submits samples for DNA testing. This suggestion is touted as being proof of the government's willingness to get to the truth.

International experts would lend a credible hand in matching possible samples of the DNA evidence and, if the samples were found to be a match, would put a stop to the accusations of manipulation by the authorities.

The problem is not the matching of the samples, but the obtaining of it. Samples can be planted.

With the current credibility of our police force and AG, I believe it would take more than introducing international experts for the rakyat to believe in fair investigations. DNA samples could have easily be obtained from DSAI in 1998 when he was brutally beaten, and can easily be planted.

The ongoing investigation by the ACA on the IGP and AG on their alleged role in planting evidence in 1998 during the investigation of DSAI has made the current investigation, whatever its conclusion, look like a conspiracy, with the help of international experts on DNA or not.

Stewart Ngau: I read that DSAI was stripped naked and his private parts were examined and measured. My main concern is that the pro-Umno doctor may extract some fluid from his private part and inject it into Saifuf's anus. This can be used as an evidence against DSAI.

Please Anwar, don't ever ever let them touch your private parts and take your DNA. For what reason do they want to examine and measure your private parts? It is completely absurd.

Justice For All Malaysians: Malaysians are intrigued as to why the police force and the home minister are desperately trying to get a sample of Anwar's DNA when his DNA was already obtained in 1998 in his sodomy allegation trial.

It is in the thought of most Malaysians that the police force could easily compare this 1998 sample to that of Saiful's DNA and come to the conclusion that Anwar is the culprit.

The fact that the police force and home minister are very adamant in getting a recent DNA sample from Anwar indicates that they may be up to something not good.

The only possible reason is that Anwar's DNA was not found in Saiful's DNA sample. Otherwise, the police force would have immediately arrested Anwar and prosecuted him.

As in most conspiracy cases, the only way to entrap Anwar is to first obtain a new DNA sample from him and then ‘plant’ it into Saiful's DNA.

This is foolproof because even if Anwar were to engage the best DNA experts in the world, they would still find his DNA in Saiful's DNA sample. In the field of criminology, we call this ‘implanting of evidence’.

The argument put forward by the home minister that it is best to obtain a fresh DNA sample reinforces the above conspiracy theory.

DNA remains unchanged over the years, which is why forensics specialists and archeologists still extract and study DNA from hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The home minister is using this excuse to get a fresh sample of Anwar's DNA to entrap him and blame it on the opposition.

Lai Seng Tan: I believe Anwar Ibrahim is justified in his refusal to allow the police to have his DNA sample. It is clear that up to now, the conduct of our police is anything but professional and transparent.

Their refusal to release the police report of Saiful is highly suspicious and it naturally gives rise to the public suspicion that the report is held back so that amendments can be made to make the accusation ‘truthful’ beyond any doubt.

The police report Anwar had made about the AG and IGP in the 1998 case has shown clearly how some people in high places will go at any lengths to silence their political rivals by manupilating all our public institutions, bending and breaking the laws that they have sworn to uphold.

If the police were to produce evidence that semen samples were found in the body of Saiful and match that of Anwar’s, how can we believe that they are telling the truth? And how do we know they did not plant it themselves?

In any ordinary case of investigation, by now they should have known whether to charge Anwar in court for the alleged sodomy. As they keep themselves busy with unearthing 'the truth', it is conveniently forgotten that a more serious allegation had been leveled against the DPM's wife and a few others who were allegedly present at the scene of a dreadful murder case.

How is it that the accused in this case is not investigated as thoroughly as Anwar? The AG even had the cheek to make a police report against Raja Petra the very next day after his Statutory Declaration was released before any investigation had been conducted.

Apart from Anwar, as long as the DPM and his wife, the AG and IGP are not thoroughly investigated by an independent royal commission, they will be tainted.

It is disturbing that we have come to this. If Abdullah is interested at all to leave a legacy behind before his departure, wake up and help us please to clean up this mess.

On Existing DNA sample too old, says PM

Vincent Chun: The PM has been cheated. DNA degrades with time, but in perfect conditions it could last for several thousand years. It certainly would not last for millions of years, or even hundreds of thousands of years but certainly for a very short 10 years.

Researchers even retrieved DNA from the teeth of Neanderthal men, that's over 40,000 year-old teeth.

DNA in dried stains is remarkably resilient to degradation and can be detected many, many, many years later. The DNA breaks down if the stains are kept wet.

However, the profiling techniques have become more and more sensitive and now even a few copies of degraded DNA can be amplified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction).

A particularly sensitive procedure for this purpose is known as low copy number. It is also possible to type mitochondrial DNA.

Amazed: Incredible! First he says the police investigations are independent, that there is no conspiracy and now ‘we’ are asking for a new sample.

If that doesn't stink of political conspiracy then I don't know what does.

On Dr M: Sodomy again? Gov't not so stupid

HJ Angus: Well after almost forty years of BN rule, of which twenty-two years were under his thumb, I suppose TDM would be the best person to answer his own question.

Some writers have commented that Malaysians have been ‘sodomised’ for so long by the government, what with major corruption casting an intricate web across major departments like the police, judiciary and immigration, along with politicians.

It should be no surprise that in his own words, we have been saddled with a ‘half-past six’ government.

Don't forget who passed the baton to the present PM and who is now also claiming that his first choice at that time will never become the PM. If we check all the constitutional amendments, I am sure most of them were made in the last 22 years.

Apart from the major destruction to the intricate balance between the executive and the judiciary departments, Malaysia's human capital has been subject to wanton waste with tens of thousands of young Malaysians leaving the nation.

This has been going on for many years, but a major change is that even talented Malays prefer not to come back, as they can see the rot in the system and don't know how, or if, the nation can change for the better.

Stupid or unimaginative may be an apt description. After all, if you hold political power, other qualities are not really necessary. That is the sad truth.

Rakyat Tak Bodoh: I beg to differ. The government is very stupid and unimaginative. Just because it's been repeated doesn't mean it's the truth. It's just like what BN has been trying to tell us for the last 50 years: vote for the opposition and there will be racial riots.

I didn’t see any racial riots on March 9. In fact, most people I saw on the street were smiling and happily chatting away about the victories of the opposition, regardless of race. I think our country has never felt so good or united before.

BN has also repeatedly told us that we don't have the money for oil subsidies, but yet, as Anwar Ibrahim pointed in the debate few days ago, there are many ways we can stop the leakage of our money.

Our BN representative had no answer and instead launched personal attacks (again, maybe using TDM advice: if you tell it enough, people will believe you) while veering off topic.

If Anwar really is guilty, please show hard evidence. As far as Im concerned, there's hardly any evidence except the police trying very hard to harvest a new DNA sample from him. Don't they have his DNA records from ten years ago? Why the need to harvest fresh DNA?

Finally, why not give the man a copy of the police report he deserves? Yes, based on the facts above, I do think the government is very stupid and unimaginative. They think the rakyat are stupid, but unfortunately for them, they’re not.

Diana Husin: Dr M, your statements really sound like you are trying to convince yourself more than anyone else that Anwar really did it. You called it unimaginative? Like the charge in 1998 was the result of imaginative and creative process of your doing?

I share your resentment of the copious action by the present government, because the present one appears to be a total fabrication, a personal vendetta that makes the first one (in 1998) also look like a fabrication altogether.

An absolute spoiler, isn’t it? Just like the Loch Ness monster. My guess is you forgot to bring the book with you when you left office. You know, the ‘How to Bring Anwar Down for Dummies’.

Come on, admit it that you are somewhat regretful that you sacked Anwar. Otherwise, Umno would still be in power for the next few ages.

Anti-Authoritarianism: Mahathir has apparently admitted that, ‘The last time it was I who was the prime mover. (Prime Minister) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) has denied he is involved this time..’

Do we take this to mean that as the prime mover he had orchestrated the whole sodomy accusation and trial of Anwar in 1998? Did he also interfere with the work of the police, the AG’s chambers and the judiciary to achieve his aim of demonising Anwar at that time?

If he did, it would be the worst case of abuse of power in Malaysia. One more thing, habitual liars also find it hard to kick their habits.

On 'Police should've kept their word'

Diana Husin: We don’t have to be in Anwar’s shoes to sense the unjust and conniving actions committed against him by the authorities.

We’ve heard enough about the highly unusual treatments: the roadblocks, fifteen patrol cars equipped with balaclava-ed units, overnight detention, lightning-quick medical checkup and DNA request, and police report (or the non-existence of it).

The authorities have only themselves to convince that those were indeed ‘normal practices’. Come on, you people up there, get a conscience (which I doubt you even know of, let alone listen to). By no means should Anwar be treated like a god, but by all means he should be treated fairly.

John: I have lost faith and respect for the so-called Royal Malaysian Police Force. Why was Anwar arrested at 12.55 pm? What was the purpose of the deadline given at 2pm?

This has clearly proven that the police acted merely as they wished and, more importantly, to please those in Umno, who are the biggest crooks of them all.

A Nak: I marvel at the extremely high-level of efficiency of the Malaysian police force and AG’s chambers lately. The arrest of Anwar Ibrahim with 15 police cars, the immediate decision to charge Raja Petra...whew!

A dear friend of mine was attacked in her office two years ago and so seriously injured, she had to have stitches all over her scalp. Her case did not get resolved until early this year, after more than five postponements due to the absence of the public prosecutors.

The attacker was free on less than RM1,000 bail all the while. I wish we common Malaysians, too, could get the equal and immediate ‘attention and assistance’ from our police and judicial system when we need them.

Saidi: I have lost faith in our police since the day Musa Hassan and Rashid (SPR) made the press statement about the cancellation of the use of indelible ink in the GE 2008. In the end no suspect was caught and the case was closed.

Sabaheye: I think everyone should not overlook the fact that the police issued two orders against DSAI on the same day, one that he will be arrested on sight if he came within five kilometers of parliament, and the other that he should report to IPK KL on the same day.

I think there was a conspiracy to arrest him because if he obeyed one, he would violate the other. The police seemed to be quiet about it. How do they expect DSAI to act? He is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t. Come on police, how can we believe what you are saying?

Claudia: Kudos to our police force for their super efficiency in arresting the opposition leader. But to our dear CID chief, whatever you said does not and will not justify the heavyhanded manner in which the unarmed and helpless sixty-one-year-old man was accosted.

The rakyat have lost their faith in the police force and the ruling government. In keeping mum with the sodomy case, the PM would not prove he has nothing to do with it. We are not as gullible as you might think.

We can see the kind of culture that our former PM has instilled in the ruling party. I'm really sad and ashamed to come from a country where the police force and the judicial system are being used to achieve political agendas.

To our PM: If you really want to garner the rakyat ’s support and gain their confidence:

a) stop lip servicing about anti-corruption.

b) withdraw the sodomy case against DSAI.

c) increase the petrol subsidy.

On Still no sign of Saiful's police report

Perplexed: I cannot understand why the police report made by Saiful cannot be made available to Anwar's lawyers. Where is the transparency and professionalism in the whole case?

In the case of companies where an employee is being investigated (through a domestic inquiry) the employee concerned is given a copy of the charges and is allowed to make his defence. What exactly is Anwar guilty of - sexual assault or consensual sex of an unnatural nature?

If the whole issue is consensual than they should charge Saiful as well - why isn't he in the lock-up too? If it is sexual assault, I find it hard to believe that a sixty- year-old man could have overpowered a strapping twenty three-year-old man not only once, but several times.