Muhyiddin backs Umno lawyer’s roadshow on Anwar verdict
The Umno deputy president is supporting the nationwide roadshow by lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to explain the Federal Court's verdict upholding Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction and jail sentence.
The party's number two, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was reported as saying by news portal Malaysiakini that he had no problems with the Umno lawyer giving talks.
He added that Shafee was smart and acted within his rights to accept invitations to speak about the opposition leader's sodomy case.
"He can explain because he is qualified. Why do we need to worry?" Muhyiddin, who is also the deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying.
Umno is the lead party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and has organised two events featuring Shafee, one in Petaling Jaya and another in Penang since the Federal Court issued its verdict on February 10.
"Shafee is smart. He has more expertise than all of us. If there is anyone who wants to invite him (for the roadshows), it is up to him to accept or not," Muhyiddin was quoted by Malaysiakini.
Shafee was given the licence to be public prosecutor by the Attorney-General on July 11, 2013, to lead the prosecution team in charges against Anwar for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in 2008.
Shafee, who was the lead prosecutor in Anwar's sodomy trial which ended two weeks ago, has spoken at both roadshows.
He had revealed details of the case, of which some appeared not to be part of the evidence presented during the trial and had dissected the relationship between Saiful, who was 23 years old then, and Anwar.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (pic, left) said Barisan Nasional (BN) would be going on a nationwide road show, which will feature Shafee, to explain the Federal Court judgment since the judiciary process had ended.
He said the party has been accused and criticised for orchestrating a political conspiracy against Anwar when he was first charged in 2008, but had kept silent all these years.
Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan also supported Shafee's roadshows by saying that he was sure that the public prosecutor was "not telling lies".
He said Shafee's action was to explain that the case was not a conspiracy as claimed by the opposition.
Shafee has come under severe criticism from both sides of the political divide after the conviction for going on a tirade against Anwar despite his incarceration.
De facto law minister Nancy Shukri even said that the roadshow would make Putrajaya "look bad" and suggested that Shafee organise a public debate with one of his biggest critics, the Bar Council, to end his tirade against Anwar. – February 24, 2015.
