Anwar: Judiciary must rectify injustices of the past

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. -filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) wants the judiciary to correct previous injustices of former senior judges.

"If there is any sense of justice and necessity to correct the inherent wrongs, the heads of judiciary must now take the necessary immediate action," the PKR president-elect told reporters after the launch of the book Anwar Returns: The Final Twist here Sunday (Aug 26).

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, said that he was not interested in taking action against any judges for their decisions in his previous sodomy trials.

Anwar said the issues would be brought up during his Court of Appeal hearing in September to reinstate his lawsuit against the government relating to his sodomy conviction in 2014.

This follows the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision to strike out the suit following the government’s application. 

Anwar filed the originating summons on June 9, 2017, claiming he did not get a fair trial in the appeal against his sodomy conviction.

Earlier, in his speech, Anwar said that even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V noted that he had been wronged.

"When I met the King, he told me that he was giving me a full pardon – not because he had the power and authority to do so but because it was his duty to correct injustices," he said.

Anwar, who was pardoned by the King on May 16, reminded the present government not to allow the courts or authorities to abuse their powers for selective prosecution or to deny anyone their rights.

On working with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad despite their chequered past, Anwar said that it was because of the common goal of saving the nation.

"People ask me why I work with Dr Mahathir.

"It is because I believe in this country and we must be able to have compassion and forgiveness for the right cause in order to save Malaysia," he said.