With the departure of the irascible Dr Mahathir from the Malaysian political stage last October, there has been a lot of speculation that the former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, might be released from prison. Gaoled four years ago on charges of corruption and sodomy, Anwar had his day in court yesterday, seeking bail while awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the latter conviction for which he must serve nine years.
This is copy of a letter I emailed this morning to Lonely Planet, the travel guide company…
I spent part of this morning reading through the Financial Times Supplement on Business and Aids.
It was with some dismay this morning that I learned Faith Fippinger faces a gaol term because of her decision to be part of the human shield in Iraq. BBC News, Fear as human shield face jail, reports that, simply by travelling to the country and spending money there, Ms Fippinger is liable for prosecution for breaking the embargo on Iraq.
Amrozi, a.k.a ‘the smiling assassin’ will now face the firing squad for his hand in the Bali bombing. I can’t help agreeing with Susanna Miller, one of the relatives of the British victims, who considers it an inappropriate punishment.
And so begins Chapter Three in my life. After a 15 year spell in the antipodes, the boy from Birmingham now finds himself in Singapore, at least for the foreseeable future.
