INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) 122nd ASSEMBLY ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS ON ANWAR IBRAHIM’S SECOND SODOMY CASE

At the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Bangkok,Thailand on 1st April 2010, the committee of IPU on the human rights of Parliamentarians reported their unanimous decision to recommend to the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union resolutions on the case o MAL/15-Anwar Ibrahim. The assembly was attended by members of Parliaments from 145 countries throughout the world.

The chairman of the Committee of IPU On the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Senator Aquilino Q Pimentel, Jr of Philiphines, then presented the following resolutions to be adopted by the council.

Noting that Anwar Ibrahim’s renewed sodomy trial has been widely critized as a bid to wreck Anwar Ibrahim’s political career,

1. Is deeply concerned at the new sodomy charges and proceedings brought against Anwar Ibrahim, which seem to be fraught with flaws similar to those of the first sodomy trial several years ago of which he was acquitted in last instance;

2. Believes that in the light of the two medical reports concluding that there were no physical signs of penetration, charges should not have been pressed in the first place and should now be dismissed;

3. Is moreover alarmed that members of the prosecution team who were implicated in the first sodomy trial, the main prosecutor at the time and now Attorney General, having even been accused of having fabricated evidence against Anwar Ibrahim, are again involved in the present proceedings and that Anwar’s defence team has been prevented from exercising its right to access prosecution evidence and been hindered to prepare the defence;

4. Firmly recalls that equality of arms between the prosecution that the defence is an essential element of a fair trial and that, failing action to ensure that the defence can exercise its rights, any judgments issued by the court will be fundamentally flawed;

5. Requests the Secretary General to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the presence of a trial observer at the coming hearings;

6. Requests the Secretary General to inform the Malaysian Parliamentary authorities accordingly;

7. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 123rd IPU Assembly (October 2010).

The resolutions were adopted by all the delegations of Assembly with Malaysia reservation recorded.

Joint press statement by Pakatan Rakyat MPs, attending the 122nd IPU Assembly:

YB Hee Loy Sian, PKR MP of Petaling Jaya Selatan,
YB Sim Tong Him, DAP MP of Kota Melaka
YB Senator Mumtaz bt Md.Nawi , PAS .

2nd April 2010,
Bangkok, Thailand

Former Chief Israeli Peace Negotiator Joins APCO Worldwide Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich appointed to International Advisory Council

Washington, D.C. (August 2, 2007) – Professor Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, joins APCO Worldwide as a member of its International Advisory Council (IAC), Margery Kraus, president and chief executive officer, announced today. Rabinovich brings to APCO extensive global knowledge and will work closely with its on-the-ground experts to counsel clients seeking access to dynamic developing markets.

“APCO’s IAC is the ideal forum in which to practically apply the wide range of skills and experience I’ve acquired over the years,” said Rabinovich, a leading diplomat and expert on the Middle East. “Working with such distinguished members of global society is an honor, and the tangible real-world benefits – for both clients and society – are compelling.”

“Along with a long list of remarkable credentials, Itamar presents a distinct international viewpoint that will prove vital to the IAC and APCO’s clients,” Kraus said. “His intimate knowledge of dynamic markets and people adds even more depth to the IAC’s unparalleled strength of strategic counsel.”

Rabinovich recently concluded a second term as president of Tel Aviv University (TAU). He is an expert on modern Middle Eastern history, and in addition to his significant administrative and fiduciary responsibilities at the university, he served as a senior research fellow at TAU’s Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and an incumbent of the Yona and Dina Ettinger Chair in Contemporary History of the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he also served as the Moshe Dayan Center’s director.

Before Rabinovich began his presidency at TAU, he was Israel’s chief negotiator with Syria under the Yitzhak Rabin government, leading some of the most delicate diplomatic missions in contemporary history. He served with distinction as Israel’s Ambassador in Washington, D.C., during the critical period from 1993 to 1996.

Rabinovich is a regular contributor to international news networks including the BBC and Al Jazeera. He is the author of several books about the Middle East. He is a regular participant in numerous international boards and forums, including the Trilateral Commission, the Saban Forum and the World Economic Forum. He is the chairman of the Dan David Prize, and served on the board of the International Crisis Group. Rabinovich joins more than 35 high-level strategists as a member of APCO’s IAC, including: Dr. Ludolf von Wartenberg, managing director of the Federation of German Industries; former U.S. Senator Don Riegle; and Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. representative to the European Union.
About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. APCO was named 2007 PR Agency of the Year by PRNews; 2006 Agency of the Year by PRWeek; 2007, 2006 and 2005 European Consultancy of the Year by Public Affairs News; and 2004 Public Affairs Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. Clients include corporations, governments, industry associations and nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO includes among its clients seven of the top 10 companies on Fortune’s Global 500. Core services include corporate, investor and internal communication; crisis management; issue management; government relations; litigation communication; media relations; coalition building; opinion research; market entry; corporate responsibility; and online communication. APCO is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.

Contact:
Elizabeth Wolf
+1.202.778.1470
ewolf@apcoworldwide.com
Anwar slams government for defending APCO
By Neville Spykerman

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim asked the government to answer all questions he had raised against communications consultancy APCO Worldwide and its links to Israel instead of attacking him.

“Why defend APCO? The prime minister must explain all the issues raised in Parliament,” the opposition leader said today.

He said the Najib administration had chosen to remain silent on his allegations that APCO was connected to the Israel government, its internal security agency Shin Bet and Zionism.

Anwar added these unanswered questions relate to Malaysia’s security.

Anwar is facing the possibility of suspension over his claim during parliamentary debate last week that the international communications consultancy, engaged by the Malaysian government, was involved in Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.

Earlier today, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the government has decided that Anwar will be referred to the parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said Anwar had so far not been able to provide concrete evidence to support his allegation that 1 Malaysia was taken from One Israel.

APCO has released a statement denying the allegations made by Anwar.