Malaysia’s Foreign Minister said that Mr. Gore’s remarks on Monday were a ”gross interference in the internal affairs of the country and a brazen violation of the basic tenets of relations between sovereign states.’
Dalam suatu forum APEC ( Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ) pada bulan November 1998 yg sedang membahas untuk mengatasi krisis ekonomi secara tiba2 US Vice President Gore menuduh PM Malaysia, Dr Mahatir menekan kebebasan. Protesters as brave people, to protest the jailing ex Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Pidato Vive President US Gore
Pada waktu itu juga terjadi gerakan protes para mahasiswa Indonesia yang menuntut reformasi terhadap Orba.
Mahaiswa Indonesia menduduki Gd MPR pada tahun 1998
Reaksi para Kepala Negara yang hadir dalam sidang APEC pun beragam:
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, accused Mr. Gore of practicing ”megaphone diplomacy,” while officials from Singapore and China offered more subtle criticism of the speech — reaffirming that they would stick to economic matters and not wade into the affairs of other countries.
President of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, said in an interview, ”I feel the same way as the Vice President. ”I don’t interfere in Malaysia’s domestic problems, but I’ve said human rights and due process of law transcend all boundaries,” said Mr. Estrada, who earlier threatened to boycott the meeting to protest Mr. Anwar’s treatment.
Advisers to Mr. Gore contended that the Vice President’s speech was no different from President Clinton’s performance in Beijing last July, when he pointedly challenged the Chinese Government’s human rights record in a televised news conference with President Jiang Zemin.
Vice President Gore, My point is very simple, These economies have some very difficult choices to make. Democracy and freedom are essential prerequisites for making those choices.‘
Konflik Dr Mahatir VS Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim ketika menjadi Menteri Keuangan Malaysia pada tahun 1991 sukses membawa negaranya menikmati pertumbuhan ekonomi sehingga oleh Euromoney dinobatkan sebagai Finance Minister of the Year. Tahun 1993 diangkat menjadi Deputy PM setelah mengalahkan Ghafar Baba yg merencanakan menggeser posisi PM Mahatir.
Pada akhir 1990an hubungannya dengan Dr Mahatir mulai retak seputar isu pemerintahan. Perbedaan yang nampak dipermukaan dalam menangani krisis ekonomi Asia, Anwar memilih cara pro IMF tetapi pernyataan keras Anwar Ibrahim ketika mengkritik budaya nepotisme dan cronyisme dikalangan UMNO. Keduanya melahirkan korupsi beasr2an dan misappropriation of funds dinegaranya.
Dalam forum Youth wing Umno yg deketuai Anwar Ibrahim dibahas mengenai nepotisme dan cronyisme. Kemudian dalam General Assembly, dirilis buku berjudul 50 Dalil Kenapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi PM tulisan Khalid Jafr, ex editor Utusan Melayu syrat kabar milik pemerintah. Anwar meminta pengadilan memerintahkan menghentikan peredaran buku tersebut. Kepolisian melaksanakan tetapi diperintahkan untuk menyelidiki kebenaran dari isi tuduhan terhadap Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar was arrested on 20 September 1998. He was subsequently charged with corruption for allegedly interfering with police investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct made against him. While he was in police custody in 1998, Anwar was beaten by the then Inspector General of Police, Rahim Noor. Rahim was subsequently found guilty of assault and jailed for two months in 2000. He made a public apology to Anwar and paid undisclosed damages. In April 1999, following a trial, Anwar was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Two months later, he was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, which he was ordered to serve after he completed his six-year sentence for the sodomy case
Rujuk
Mahatir ketemu Anwar Ibrahim pertama kali setelah 15 tahun
Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad on Friday joined hands with long-standing foes, including the party of the jailed Anwar Ibrahim, to crank up pressure on scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak to quit, marking a seismic political shift. n a dramatic flourish, Mahathir read a statement signed by 58 politicians and anti-corruption activists at a news conference where he was flanked by opposition leaders and some members of the ruling party ( UMNO ).
Anwar issued a statement from prison a day earlier, saying he would “support the position” of those in civil society, political parties and individuals, including Mahathir, in the push to remove Najib.
Besides demanding the resignation of the prime minister, the so-called “core” group demanded the removal of those who had covered up misdeeds, the repeal of laws that violate fundamental rights and the restoration of institutions it said had been undermined, including the police and anti-graft agency.
Reaksi dari pihak Pemerintahan PM Najib…..the move by Mahathir and his former enemies…….”demonstrated the depth of their political opportunism and desperation”……masak iya, gandatmadi46@yahoo.com