ReformIS
[ Berita (News) | Cari (Search) | Menu Utama (Main Menu) | Hantar Berita (Submit News) ]
From: CNN
Date: 05 May 1999
Time: 13:12:53
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- A star witness for the prosecution in the trial against Anwar Ibrahim plans to publish a tell-all book explaining why she accused the former No. 2 leader of the sodomy charges that led to his jailing, a news report said Wednesday.
"I want Malaysians to know my side of the story," Ummi Hafilda Ali, the 32-year-old businesswoman was quoted as saying in the Star newspaper.
Anwar's fall from government and subsequent conviction resulted from police investigations into a letter written by Ummi in 1997 to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. She accused the politician of adultery and sodomy, a crime in predominantly Muslim Malaysia.
On Tuesday, a judge set Anwar's sodomy trial for June 7. The judge also issued a widespread gag-order barring the media from publishing anything but "factual evidence" presented during the trial.
It is unclear whether Ummi's book would be allowed in light of the latest gag-order and earlier orders curbing public comment on the case. Tuesday's ruling said "no counsel, person or party" would be allowed to make statements related to the case.
Ummi said the book, which she is penning herself and hopes to finish by August, will be titled either "Ummi: The True Story" or "Anwar vs. Ummi."
It will chronicle her experiences after writing the letter in 1997 and end with the aftermath of Anwar's conviction on April 14.
"The book is very important to me because so much has been said about me," the businesswoman said.
Ummi says her name has been smeared by the trial in which Anwar's lawyers said she was secretly in love with Anwar and acted against him for spurning her. She denies the allegation.
On Friday, Ummi filed a 60 million ringgit (dlrs 16 million) libel suit against an opposition tabloid for an article that referred to her as a "small-time hooker obsessed with deputy prime ministers."
She said the derogatory words insulted her and her family and challenged the defendants to prove its allegations by producing witnesses or the names of those who hired her as a prostitute.
Anwar has repeatedly denied all the charges against him, saying they were cooked up as a pretext to end the challenge he posed to Mahathir's 18-year rule.