With some exceptions, an increasingly hard line across the Muslim world

In Malaysia, people who try to desert Islam can face compulsory “re-education”. Under the far harsher regime of Afghanistan, death for apostasy is still on the statute book, despite the country’s American-backed “liberation” from the tyranny of the Taliban.

The Economist 

In many parts of the world, the right to change one's beliefs is under threat

The contest between theocratic politics and a notionally secular state looks even more unequal in another ex-British land, Malaysia, where freedom of choice in religion is enshrined in the federal constitution, but Islamic law is imposed with growing strictness on the Muslim majority.

The Economist

The leadership battle has turned into a bruising personal confrontation, full of lurid allegations involving sodomy, infidelity and even murder.

The Wall Street Journal Asia

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Watch the videos below

Malaysia's ousted Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is led by prison police as he leaves the Federal High Court, Tuesday, July 13, 1999, in Kuala Lumpur after presenting himself for his trial on sodomy charges.

A high court judge rules that the deputy prime minister doesn’t need to answer questions about a murder

Jed Yoong, ASIA SENTINEL

Instead of jumping the gun and calling for a Cabinet meeting to discuss the move by Terengganu, perhaps the government would do well to consider Ahmad’s explanation as to how much it cost to maintain the Perdana fleet.

Commentary by Surin Murugiah, The Edge

By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily

Malaysians have a series of questions in their minds recently. They are about human science, legal knowledge and some human behaviours.

But keeping the opposition alliance together is something else

By Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times

"The severely-battered police image took another self-inflicted beating, which could have been avoided without sacrificing the object of the whole exercise, which was to take Anwar into custody.''

The Malaysian Insider Analysis

MERINEWS

A detective filed a declaration alleging DPM Najib Razak’s connection in an ongoing sex, sleaze and murder case. The next day, he retracted it and said he was under duress, apparently from the camp of ex DPM Anwar, who is facing identical charges.

Mr. Anwar's accuser -- his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan -- is under police protection. It's not a stretch to imagine Mr. Anwar's DNA finding its way onto his clothes as "evidence," as that's the tactic the police used back in 1998.

The Wall Street Journal 

Malaysian politics is full of intrigue, especially among leading Malay politicians. Several critics have already said out loud that Anwar's chances of realising his dream of becoming prime minister are slipping away quickly.

The Nation

By continuing to play this game, Mr Anwar risks losing credibility not only among the man on the street, but perhaps more crucially, he risks losing the trust of BN lawmakers who are considering the option of crossing over.  

TODAYonline 

"We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber-war," Abdullah said after the administration Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.

By DAVID DIZON
abs-cbnNEWS.com

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER COMMENTARY

His smile comes easily enough, but there is a concerned man behind that cheery exterior. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi knows that the next few months could have far-reaching consequences on the next general election, scheduled for 2013.

The Wall Street Journal Asia

The last time Malaysian democrat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was prosecuted on a trumped-up sodomy charge, we wrote that the government's "crude measures will exact a heavy price in terms of lost credibility." Ten years later, Malaysia's current political leaders should take note.

Prof Mohammad Agus Yusoff, lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the scurrying for posts was a phenomenon never before seen in the party's history.

Arman Ahmad, New Straits Times

Leslie Lau, The Malaysian Insider

If Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is charged for sodomy again, he will not be the only one in the dock.

10:05 pagi : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tiba di Ibu Pejabat Badan Pencegah Rasuah Putrajaya untuk memberi keterangan berhubung laporannya terhadap Peguam Negara dan Ketua Polis Negara 1 Julai lalu. 

4.00pm : Raja Petra done with the court (quit tough fight). He now (with wife & a few close friends) out for lunch. He will update the details soon!

Charles Ramendran, Giam Say Khoon, Husna Yusop and Llew-Ann Phang, The Sun

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who was arrested by police this afternoon will be held overnight by the police.