BN tries to stain Anwar with DNA proof

BN tries to stain Anwar with DNA proof

(Malaysian Insider) PERMATANG PAUH, Aug 25 — With defeat staring them in the face in Permatang Pauh, Barisan Nasional politicians have been pulling out all the stops to damage Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s image.

Over the past 24 hours, several politicians on house-to-house visits in the by-election campaign have been talking about details of the sodomy charge against the Opposition icon, even pointing out that the stains on accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s undergarments and body matched Anwar’s DNA.

And when faced with scepticism, some ruling coalition politicians have gone a step further — providing details of DNA tests conducted by the Chemistry Department.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the tests were conducted on several samples from the underwear and body parts a few days after Saiful lodged a police report on June 28. The tests allegedly confirm that the DNA on the samples belonged to Saiful and Anwar.

In his police report, the former aide alleged that he was sodomised by Anwar in a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26. Anwar was charged with having carnal knowledge against the order of nature but he has asserted that this fresh sodomy allegation was part of a political conspiracy to stop him from becoming the prime minister of Malaysia.

Before nomination day on Aug 16, Barisan Nasional officials reached a consensus not to highlight the sodomy charge against Anwar, knowing that as many as six in 10 Malaysians did not believe the allegations and many Malays were uncomfortable discussing sexual issues in public.

Instead, the plan was to focus on the strengths of the local candidate, Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, a rotund politician with a common touch.

That plan was scratched a day before nomination day when Saiful swore on the Quran at the Federal Territory mosque that he was sodomised by Anwar.

From then on, the sodomy charge provided the backdrop of the by-election campaign with Umno politicians questioning Anwar’s reluctance to take an oath of innocence.

This strategy found some traction among Malay voters in the early days of the campaign but Pakatan Rakyat has since countered it effectively by getting spiritual heavyweights from Pas including Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Haron Din to speak at ceramahs in the constituency and question the validity of Saiful’s oath.

To make believers out of the unbelievers, some BN party officials have been contemplating giving voters nuggets of evidence and information about the sodomy case against Anwar, including results of laboratory tests.

But other senior officials have disagreed with this approach, saying that now that Anwar had been charged in court, evidence and witness accounts should only be presented during the trial and not during the by-election campaign.

But the hardliners won the day, arguing that the Opposition has been employing all kinds of tactics including releasing statutory declarations to damage BN leaders and cast aspersions on the government’s case against Anwar.

So for the last 24 hours, BN officials on house-to-house visits have been going into some detail on the sodomy charge against Anwar, fishing out a laboratory report where necessary to make the case that the samples taken from Saiful’s underpants and his body matched that of Anwar’s.

Is it going to be enough to turn defeat into victory? Unlikely.

Is it going to turn droves of Malays against Anwar? Unlikely.

But these are desperate times for the BN.