Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUALALUMPUR153
2007-01-24 11:16:00
SECRET
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:  

ANWAR IBRAHIM ATTACKS NAJIB, SEES LIMITED

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR KDEM KISL MY 
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P 241116Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
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INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0081
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2264
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2254
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR PRIORITY 0052
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000153 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM KISL MY
SUBJECT: ANWAR IBRAHIM ATTACKS NAJIB, SEES LIMITED
POLITICAL OPENING UNDER ABDULLAH

Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHRISTOPHER J. LAFLEUR, REASON 1.4 (B AND D).

Summary
-------

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000153

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM KISL MY
SUBJECT: ANWAR IBRAHIM ATTACKS NAJIB, SEES LIMITED
POLITICAL OPENING UNDER ABDULLAH

Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHRISTOPHER J. LAFLEUR, REASON 1.4 (B AND D).

Summary
--------------


1. (S) Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaking
with polchief January 18, amplified his recent attacks on
Deputy Prime Minister Najib, alleging official cover-up of
Najib's connection with the Altantuya murder case and Najib's
involvement in corrupt military procurements. Anwar
(protect) asserted that DPM Najib's aide-de-camp ordered the
killing of Altantuya and that Anwar possessed firm evidence
of the 2003 Sukhoi kick-back scheme. A January 19 court
affidavit by jailed Najib confidante Razak Baginda revealed a
link to Najib's ADC, allowing Anwar to sharpen his public
calls for police to question the Deputy Prime Minister.
Anwar expressed hope that PM Abdullah's "weakness" could
allow for a somewhat fairer playing field for Malaysian
opposition parties in the next national elections and
asserted that opportunities for democratic reform would end
if and when DPM Najib took over. Anwar now is attempting to
shift his political opposition role into higher gear. At
this point, however, it is not clear that Anwar has a winning
game plan and his expressed electoral hopes are very modest
at best. End Summary.

Najib-Linked Scandals Damage Malaysia's Integrity
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition
politician Anwar Ibrahim, accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah,
told polchief during their January 18 meeting at Anwar's
Damansara home that high-level corruption had reached
dangerous levels and had damaged the nation's integrity.
Anwar raised as examples the alleged cover-up in the
Altantuya murder case and kick-backs paid to fronts for DPM
Najib Tun Razak for the procurement of French submarines and
the 2003 purchase of Sukhoi aircraft. He felt emboldened to
raise these matters in recent press conferences (picked up
mainly by internet news services) because he possessed solid
information, including documentary evidence in the case of

the Sukhoi deal. Much of the information about the latter
cases came directly from senior officials who met with Anwar,
including the Director General of at least one ministry and a
senior officer at the Central Bank.


3. (S) On the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder (see below),Anwar
(protect in this paragraph) claimed that Najib had been
romantically involved with the Mongolian woman prior to her
relationship with Abdul Razak Baginda (Najib's confidante
accused of abetting the woman's murder),and implied that
Altantuya had intended to incriminate Najib as well as Razak
Baginda. Leaning forward and in a hushed voice, Anwar
asserted that he had firm information that Najib's
aide-de-camp ordered the two members of Najib's security
detail (who are charged with murder) to kill Altantuya.
Based on his information, Anwar said he had called publicly
for the police to question Najib. (Comment: In December we
heard from one of Anwar's lawyers that Razak Baginda's wife
was in contact with Anwar and Wan Azizah, suggesting one
possible source for Anwar's information. End Comment.)

Background on Altantuya Murder Case
--------------


4. (C) Note: In November 2006, Malaysian police arrested
urbane think tank analyst Razak Baginda, a close confidante
of DPM/Defense Minister Najib and a beneficiary of an
enormous broker's fee for the Defense Ministry's purchase of
French submarines. Police charged Razak with abetting the
October 19, 2006, murder of a young Mongolian woman,
Altantuya Shaariibuu, with whom he reportedly had an affair.
Police also brought murder charges against two police
officers assigned to the Special Operations Force that
protects the Deputy Prime Minister. Publicly the case has
attracted sensationalist media coverage, while privately the
rumor mill has gone into overdrive fueled by speculation of
Najib's possible connection to Altantuya and her murder.
Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the
court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence,
suggested to many that the case was subject to strong
political pressure intended to protect Najib. The trial

KUALA LUMP 00000153 002 OF 003


phase will begin in March 2008.

Razak's Affidavit Supports Anwar's Public Calls
-------------- --


5. (SBU) Note continued: Anwar used his January 10 press
conference to urge police to question Najib, while clarifying
that, "we are not inferring that (Najib) is in the know or
gave the instructions (to murder Altantuya)." On January 19,
Abdul Razak Baginda presented a court affidavit in support of
his unsuccessful bail application. According to press
accounts, Abdul Razak Baginda's affidavit confirmed that he
sought the help of Musa Safri, later identified by reporters
as Najib's ADC. On January 20, Anwar told a political rally,
"It was clearly stated that Abdul Razak had gone to the
deputy premier's office to meet with the head of Najib's
bodyguards. Why can't we question this? Why can't we
investigate?" Mainstream media subsequently carried articles
citing the Altantuya family's lawyer asking for prosecutors
to reopen the case based on new information in the affidavit.
End Note.

Abdullah's Weakness Creates (Limited) Political Opening
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Anwar confided to polchief that Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi's "weakness" and his inability to control
fully the government, police and party apparatus could allow
for a somewhat fairer playing field during the next national
elections. PM Abdullah, however, had already shut down
discussion of significant electoral reforms, which the
Electoral Commission chairman had urged in public comments
made in early January. Anwar expected the government would
continue to shut off his access to the mainstream media.
(Comment: There has not been a complete black-out on
mainstream press coverage of Anwar; however, his activities
and public remarks find rare mention in major papers, and
none that we have noticed on television. End Comment.)
Democratic openings and prospects for reform would end, Anwar
argued, if and when the DPM replaced Abdullah, given Najib's
character and his inner circle of supporters.


7. (C) Anwar's Malaysian People's Justice Party (Keadilan)
and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) identified
opportunities to make some electoral gains in Penang, Sabah
and Selangor states in the next national election. Anwar
noted that he spent a large amount of time brokering meetings
between DAP and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) in order
to foster a better working relationship among these
opposition parties. Given limited access to the media, Anwar
stated that he had difficulties reaching rural Malay voters
to explain his positions, particularly his opposition to the
current Malay set-aside programs, which he believes should be
based on need, not race. Polchief raised 2006 polling data
that indicated a strong racial divide among young Malaysians
and, when asked, Anwar did not identify any trend away from
race-based politics.


8. (C) Anwar stated that he was encouraging foreign
democracy NGOs to initiate activities in Malaysia in hopes
their programs and presence would contribute to a freer
political climate. He was reaching out to organizations from
the U.S. (NDI, IRI),Europe, Turkey and Indonesia. Anwar
noted, in particular, the importance of non-American groups
taking up issues of democracy in Malaysia, and indicated his
own desire not to become closely identified with the U.S. out
of concern his opponents would use this against him. Anwar
noted he would continue to engage in international meetings,
but would curtail or resign from official roles in some
overseas organizations to better position himself for
politics in Malaysia. Expressing disappointment with the
limited influence of MAFREL, an election monitoring NGO,
Anwar supported efforts to stand up a more high-powered,
independent election watchdog, possibly headed by noted
lawyer and former UN special envoy Param Cumaraswamy (who is
part of Anwar's legal team in his suit against former Prime
Minister Mahathir).


9. (C) Anwar, surrounded by boxes in his home, told polchief
he had sold the house in the elite Damansara neighborhood and
purchased a large home in a poorer neighborhood further from
the city. He implied that the reasons for the move were

KUALA LUMP 00000153 003 OF 003


financial.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) Due to his conviction in April 1999 for misuse of
his official position, Anwar remains barred from seeking
political office until April 2008. However, he now is
clearly back in Malaysian politics and attempting to shift
his political opposition role into higher gear after spending
much of his time overseas following his 2004 prison release.
Using press conferences to lob bombshells focused on
Najib-linked corruption and the sensationalistic Altantuya
murder case is a tactic whose impact is limited by Anwar's
modest coverage in the government-dominated mainstream media
but which is in keeping with the gadfly function
traditionally played by the weaker Malaysian opposition
parties.


11. (C) Political gossip is Malaysia's favorite indoor sport,
and some here speculate that Anwar nurses bigger ambitions.
Najib personifies the privileged UMNO elite into which he was
born and lacks Anwar's Islamic activist credentials or
personal magnetism. However, after Abdullah, UMNO currently
has no serious alternative to Najib. By chipping away at
Najib's reputation, Anwar could be looking to raise doubts
inside UMNO about the wisdom of that succession and perhaps
weaken resistance to Anwar's eventual return to the fold and
perhaps even to leadership. Some speculate, too, that
Abdullah is well aware of this dynamic and intends to use
Anwar to keep Najib in check. However, as Anwar also
continues to take pot shots as well at Abdullah, there
remains uncertainty about the likelihood of real
reconciliation with the PM.


12. (C) At this point, it is not clear to us that Anwar in
fact has a winning game plan and his expressed electoral
hopes seem very modest at best. In 2006, former Prime
Minister Mahathir's challenge to PM Abdullah ironically stole
much of the opposition's thunder, or at least the public's
attention. With the Mahathir threat largely diffused for the
time being, the field may be more open for Anwar to stake out
a position as Malaysia's primary opposition voice in the year
ahead.

LAFLEUR