JAN 11 — After the verdict was delivered, Information Minister Rais Yatim was quick to point out that the verdict showed judicial independence in Malaysia.

I wrote yesterday that if Anwar was sentenced not guilty, the authorities would then claim that the country’s judiciary was independent.

I’m not trying to brag about the precision of my prediction. Nothing to brag about anyway. I just feel a little deplorable.

Three-and-a-half years. Plenty of our national resources and the government’s energy have been dumped into this particular case.

The so-called sodomy case shouldn’t have been brought to the court in the first place. Over the past three-and-a-half years, all that we’ve seen are one after another senseless frivolity within and without the court.

Inside the court, the prosecutor and police have kept producing incomprehensible “evidence” and arguments. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of law should tell that the allegation would not be good enough to stand a trial.

Recalcitrance would only end things up with more serious missteps.

Outside the court, people from the ruling coalition, party-sponsored media and rightist outfits have gone all out to play up the issue, painting Anwar Ibrahim as a sexually-immoral man in hope of destroying Anwar and thrashing Pakatan with their tricks.

After the verdict was read at 9.30 on the Monday morning, all the efforts they’ve thrown in during the past three-and-a-half years are all nullified.

The prosecutor and police aside, the ruling coalition and BN government were all humiliated in defeat. And the politicians who exploited the case to belittle the opposition during rallies, ceramahs and campaigns, have all been disgraced by the verdict.

As for Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, he has now taken on a new role: from a most detestable person to the biggest laughing stock in the country.

If the past three-and-a-half years has been otherwise spent on conducting genuine reviews and revamping the government’s administration, perhaps the ruling coalition will now be able to bask on a more solid support base as well as esteem.

Dumping all energy and effort on the sodomy case will only land them on complete fiasco.

The acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim will only work to surge his reputation and acceptability. He is least knocked down. Instead, his image gets a refreshing boost.

And that also sends the morale of crestfallen PKR soaring.

As a strong backing force of Anwar, PKR will get consolidated from its inner being, and will emerge stronger having sailed past the crisis in triumph.

Isn’t it funny that the ruling coalition and authorities have lent a hand to shape up Anwar and his Pakatan with their ill-designed ploy?

All quarters should see the country’s political reality in a better perspective now. Malaysians have gotten sick of such senseless struggles. All we want to see from politicians and political parties is more prudent deployment of our resources and energy on something more constructive. — mysinchew.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.