Bush maintains Anwars arrest politically motivated

comments     Susan Loone     Published     Updated

The United States has maintained its position concerning ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim stating that he was jailed because of his political opposition to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and that he should be released.

President George W Bush reiterated that the position has not changed at a press conference in the White House yesterday in conjunction with Mahathir's official visit to Washington.

Replying to a reporter's question as to whether "it is still the position of the United States that Anwar Ibrahim was jailed primarily for his political opposition to the prime minister and that he should be released", Bush replied, "Yes, our position has not changed".

The president's remarks were contained in a news release from the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini today.

A check revealed that Bush's remarks were either 'missed or censored' by the mainstream media here as Malaysian journalists were also present at the press conference.

US-Malaysia relations was strained during the height of the Anwar crisis in 1998.

Former vice president Al Gore's compliments to the "brave" reformasi people during an Asia Pacific Economic Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur irked Mahathir who considered it an open declaration of US support for his jailed ex-deputy.

However, Bush praised Mahathir who is on a three-day working visit to the US since May 13 for the premier's support for the US' campaign against terrorism.

Stand welcomed

Responding to Bush's remarks, Keadilan today said it welcomed the president's "uncompromising" stand.

Keadilan secretary-general Sahri Bahri said the US stand indicated that Mahathir's efforts to destroy Anwar's image in the eyes of the world was not successful.

Sahri said Bush' statement was consistent with this year's Human Rights Report by the US that Anwar and the six reformasi activists — Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib, Dr Badrul Amin Baharon, Lokman Noor Adam and malaysiakini columnist cum film director Hishamuddin Rais — detained under the Internal Security Act are political prisoners.

"Bush's position also reaffirms US Ambassador to Malaysia Mary Huhtala's statement on Jan 17 that Anwar did not get a fair trial and his appeal was his best opportunity to correct the situation," he added in a press statement.

Anwar is currently serving a 15- year jail sentence for sodomy and multiple charges of corruption and abuse of power.



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