YOURSAY | ‘Yes, there is no plot against Anwar. And yes, the Pope is not Catholic.’

Sodomy II review: Anwar's case concludes, apex court reserves judgment

Fair Play: The nation is at a crossroads. The rakyat, the three branches government of check and balance (judicial, legislative, executive), the royalty, the law enforcement agencies, etc, are but pieces in a chess board game.

All have their specific role to play. One false move by anyone and it is checkmate. Now it is the judiciary's turn.

Abasir: Thank you, defence lawyer Gopal Sri Ram. Everyone involved knows this sordid case had its genesis late one night in the home of an ambitious and tainted person who subsequently went on to earn international notoriety as an alleged high-living thief, money-launderer and kleptocrat.

You have laid out the facts and have argued your case as only you could have - brilliantly. If the matter is decided solely and entirely on the agreed facts and the rules you have cited, Anwar will be freed.

Godfearing: The future of Malaysia hinges precariously on the decision at the Palace of Justice - if justice prevails and former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is released, the nation will pull back from the brink.

If not, it will plunge into disaster, God forbid. Thus, it is going to be a verdict not for Anwar but for our beloved nation. Pray that sanity prevails.

Raja Chulan: Guilty or not, I hope the judges will release Anwar. Malaysia is in the dumps now and it takes everyone to give it a helping hand to get it back to where it once belonged - progressive, well-governed and respected.

The release of Anwar by the courts will indeed be a helping hand from the judges for the sake of the nation's future well-being.

Pemerhati: There are various types of dictatorships. The extreme variety is the North Korean type where the dictator just kills those who oppose him and completely controls the country and treats its resources as his own. This causes revulsion around the world and the dictator is treated like a pariah by most of the countries.

At the other end, where the dictator is not treated like a pariah, is the Malaysian variety where you have institutions normally found in a democratic country such as elections, enforcement agencies, judiciary, etc.

But unlike in real democracies these institutions are allegedly controlled by Umno’s PM and its leadership.

Umno retains power through alleged massive rigging and cheating during the elections. The police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), judiciary and most of the public services are under their complete control.

The result is that they can allegedly send anyone who opposes them on false trumped-up charges to prison as happened to Anwar, and allegedly take as much of the people’s money they like as happened in the case of 1MDB.

Anticonmen: So long as there is no separation of powers and rule of law, which are the fundamental pillars of a democracy and justice, it’s a sheer waste of time and taxpayers' money pursuing justice.

When the fundamental pillars of a building are missing, do you expect a person to live in the building and get shelter?

Anwar himself allegedly played a role in the dismantling of separation of powers and rule of law. Even the layman can see injustice which the learned man cannot because of greed for power and money.

PCG: Justice needs to be seen to be done. It was clear the Court of Appeal erred. Having said that, if I were Anwar, and if, by some miracle, the bench acquits me, I would just retire and leave the political arena.

Trying to save a sinking ship (Malaysia) is a lost cause. Why suffer for the people who at every election keep voting for BN?

The Analyser: I wonder what the 'fundamental rules of natural justice’ are? This sounds like the figment of a Malaysian mind contrived to make it look like his/her ideas are the right ones.

Aren't laws constructed in such a way as to avoid such vague concepts as 'the fundamental rules of natural justice'?

HaveAGreatDay: “Outside the courtroom, PAS Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar says a decision in favour of Anwar will be an impetus to ‘another wave of people's uprising’.”

Sigh, it is precisely for this reason that Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) will ensure Anwar remains behind bars.

Anonymous #01428088: When is the trial of MO1? Pray Almighty God makes it soonest.

Mosquitobrain: Take a coin, and flip it. Heads I win, tails you lose. This is the situation in Malaysia today. It sucks.

I'm not pouring cold water on our hopes, but I do belief in 'miracles'. All the best to Anwar and family.

Headhunter: Yes, don't hold your breath. Politics will hold sway for sure. Someone is very afraid of a free Anwar.

Jaycee: Yes, there is no plot against Anwar. Just like the RM2.6 billion allegedly stolen from the Malaysian taxpayers is actually a ‘donation’. And yes, the Pope is not Catholic.

1Citizen: The intent has always been to get Anwar out of politics and sodomy is their style of doing it.

The intent has always been to keep the allegedly corrupt government politically secure and 1MDB is their style of doing it. God save Malaysia.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.