DATE=03/26/02

TYPE=INTERVIEW

TITLE=WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL

NUMBER=3-102

BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB

DATELINE=BANGKOK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appeared in court to appeal an earlier sentence for corruption. Lawyers for Anwar Ibrahim told judges at the Federal Court in Kuala-Lumpur that his original trial was not fair because important evidence was disallowed or ignored, and that the sentence was altered three times. Southeast Asia Correspondent Scott Bobb spoke with Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim at the end of the court proceedings.

SCOTT BOBB: Dr. Wan Azizah, how did the session go in court today?

WAN AZIZAH: I think it went very well because the judges were very patient in listening to our arguments as to how the trial has been flawed in certain areas where our lawyer, Christopher Fernando, articulated it very well. Where he says not only justice is to be manifestly seen to be done and he went ahead saying that there were instances when the judge did not allow our line of arguments, our defense to state that there was a conspiracy, any question was been deemed irrelevant.

SB: Was this the main point that your lawyers were trying to make or were there other points that they also made?

WA: This is a series of arguments that we had put forth and this is one of the arguments. There are other arguments saying that not only that the sentence was altered three times and the evidence that we were given was expunged, it was not stated which parts of the evidence were being expunged so that it made it difficult for the defense to submit in the final submission. This was a series of all the arguments and I think the judges can see that the trial that Anwar has been through was seriously flawed.

SB: And what happens next in the next session?

WA: The appeal hearing rule resumes on Thursday. I think Christopher has asked for another hour to articulate further and we would hear what the prosecutors have to say and after that we would wait for the judgement.

SB: How is Anwar doing? Were you able to see him?

WA: His health is not very good because ever since he had this disk protrusion the pressure on his nerve root has been constant and only alleviated by medications analgesics and anti-inflammatory. So he has a problem physically, he has to be helped up the stairs and he was wheeled on a wheelchair and he has to bear with a lot of pain. Even though he has taken medication, still it did not go away completely.

SB: Well, thank you very much for bringing us up to date. Any final comment or observation you would like to make about the procedure?

WA: Well, at the moment the three judges of the Federal Court has shown patience and understanding and has given the chance for our defense lawyers to articulate our case. And I am looking forward to seeing a favorable outcome even though I know that the pressure is very much on them because the executive has actually made the judgement much earlier.

SB: Thank you very much Miss Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

NEB/HK/SB/HB-T/RAE