Mohammad Saiful Bukhari Azlan (born 6 July 1985) is a
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...
businessman and politician. He currently is a member of the
Malaysian United Indigenous Party
The Malaysian United Indigenous Party ( ms, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), abbreviated BERSATU or PPBM, is a nationalist political party in Malaysia. The party was preceded by the United Indigenous Association of Malaysia (). It is a major c ...
(BERSATU).
He was the personal assistant of former Malaysia Opposition Leader
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
and also the accuser in
Anwar's second sodomy trial. On 28 June 2008, he lodged a police report claiming that he had been forcibly sodomised by Anwar. When it was put to him that a 61-year-old man is unlikely to be able to physically overpower a 24-year-old man, he changed his complaint to "homosexual conduct by persuasion".
Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by up to 20 years'
imprisonment
Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessari ...
and
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
ping under Section 377B of the Malaysian Penal Code.
Early life and education
Saiful was born on 6 July 1985 in
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru (), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia,along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite of the city-state Singapore. T ...
, Johor, Malaysia to the couple of
Azlan Mohd Lazim and Halina Mohd Alip.
From 2006 to 2007, Saiful attended the
Universiti Tenaga Nasional
Universiti Tenaga Nasional ( en, The National Energy University; UNITEN) is a private university, located in Selangor, Malaysia, with GLC university status. It is wholly owned by the public-listed Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), established in 1 ...
(UNITEN) in
Bangi Bangi may refer to:
*Bangi (surname), an Indian surname
*Bangi District, Bangi, Afghanistan
*Bangi, Iran (disambiguation)
*Bangi, Nepal
*Bangi, Malaysia
** Bangi Komuter station, Malaysia
* Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia
* Bangi (federal constituency), ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
where he was a pro-student activist and a candidate for the University's student body president.
Saiful was an electrical engineering student but did not earn a degree due to his dismissal from the college in 2007. In the
2008 Malaysian general election
A general election was held on Saturday, 8 March 2008 for members of the 12th Parliament of Malaysia. Voting took place in all 222 parliamentary constituencies of Malaysia, each electing one Member of Parliament to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant ...
, he supported the opposition political party, accusing the incumbent Prime Minister,
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
, of
cronyism
Cronyism is the spoils system practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations. For example, cronyism occurs when appointin ...
and corruption.
Early career
After being dismissed from UNITEN, Saiful became a volunteer worker at the
Petaling Jaya
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, image_caption = ''From top, left to right:Skyline of Petaling Jaya, the 1 Utama Mall integrated with Bandar Utama Station, the Kota Darul Ehsan arch, the Petaling J ...
branch office of the
People's Justice Party
The People's Justice Party ( ms, Parti Keadilan Rakyat , often known simply as KEADILAN or PKR) is a reformist political party in Malaysia, formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party. The ...
(PKR). He was later appointed as a personal assistant to party leader,
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
. One of his duties as personal assistant was to organize meetings with parliamentary members wanting to switch over to the People's Justice Party. The meetings were held in a privately owned condominium in Desa Damansara (Damansara Heights),
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
, Malaysia. He accompanied Anwar on several of his overseas trips during this period including travel to
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
(early May 2008),
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
(late May 2008) and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
(16 June and 18 June 2008), according to his passport. Saiful was also used to assist Anwar's chief of staff in creating and arranging Anwar's schedule.
Saiful is an avid blogger and his blog has popular followings among pro-opposition as well as pro-government groups. In his blog, he once accused Anwar of trying to persuade members of parliament to jump parties.
Political career
Saiful contested as an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
candidate in the
Port Dickson by-election held on 13 October 2018 after the seat was vacated by its incumbent member of parliament Danyal Balagopal Abdullah to enable Anwar to contest and be elected back to the parliament. Saiful only managed to get 82 votes and lost his electoral deposit in the seven-corners by-election which was won by Anwar with a majority of 23,560 votes on 13 October 2018.
In 2021, he has joined the
BERSATU
The Malaysian United Indigenous Party ( ms, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), abbreviated BERSATU or PPBM, is a nationalist political party in Malaysia. The party was preceded by the United Indigenous Association of Malaysia (). It is a major c ...
as his first political platform after involving himself in the political arena without any political party officially.
[
]
Legal issues
Court case
On 7 August 2008, Anwar was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Session Court for sodomy without consent, the victim being Saiful. Saiful has alleged that he was sodomised by Anwar on numerous occasions. The last offence was committed on 26 June 2008, at 11-5-1 Desa Damansara Condominium, No 99, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara
Damansara Heights ( ms, Bukit Damansara) is an upscale suburb in western side of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located five kilometres away from the city centre. The suburb falls under the Segambut district and its parliamentary constituency. It is a s ...
, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Anwar was charged under Section 377B Kanun Keseksaan of the Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n penal code, that can amount to 20 years incarceration and whipping if found guilty. He pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
:* Section 377A penal code defines the term "sodomise" as: "Any person who has sexual connection with another person by the introduction of the penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature."
:* Section 377B penal code states: "Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping."
:* Section 377C penal code states: "Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature on another person without the consent, or against the will, of the other person, or by putting the other person in fear of death or injury to the person or any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping."
Religious oath-taking
On 15 August 2008, in the main hall of the Federal Territory Mosque
The Federal Territory Mosque ( ms, Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan) is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located near MATRADE complex and the Federal Government Complex off Jalan Duta, in Segambut district.Sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
h Islamic principles that he spoke the truth. The ceremony lasted 15 minutes and was witnessed by more than 30 people, including photographers and camera operators. No mainstream or government media were permitted to record the event. Before taking the oath, Saiful read a couple of verses from the Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
including the Surah Al-Fatihah
Al-Fatiha (alternatively transliterated Al-Fātiḥa or Al-Fātiḥah; ar, ألْفَاتِحَة, ; ), is the first ''surah'' (chapter) of the Quran. It consists of 7 '' ayah'' (verses) which are a prayer for guidance and mercy. Al-Fatiha i ...
.
Saiful's oath:
I, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, swear by the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful, that I was sodomized by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on 26th June 2008. On that day Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim put his genital inside my anus.
If I lied in this confession, then I'm lying to God and I will accept the consequences, I will be damned until the day of judgement, only God knows everything.
Among those who witnessed the oath taking ceremony were Saiful's father Azlan Mohd Lazim and the mosque designated Imam Ramlang Porigi. A press conference was then held at the Dinasti Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Reactions of other political and religious leaders
Perlis
Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces o ...
's mufti
A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...
, Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
Prof. Dato' Arif Perkasa Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin ( Jawi: ; born 1 January 1971), better known as MAZA, is an Islamic scholar, preacher, writer and lecturer from Malaysia. He is currently serving his second term as Mufti of Perlis since 2 ...
said that the oath taken by Saiful was in accordance with Islam. This is because he has declared with intent and proclaiming the divine words of Wallahi, Wabillahi, Watallahi.
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
(UMNO) Deputy Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 t ...
then said that Saiful's oath cannot be undermined as those who have taken the divine oath invoke Allah's wrath if they are lying.
Personal life
On 20 October 2012, Saiful became engaged to former TV3 personality Nik Suriani Megat Deraman and subsequently married her on 25 May 2013. The couple was found doing a batik
Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...
and songket
''Songket'' is a ''Tenun'' fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. It is hand-woven in ...
business at a booth during UMNO General Assembly 2016 at Putra World Trade Centre
World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC; ms, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra), is a convention and exhibition centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The venue is sprawled over 1.70 million square feet with 235,000 ...
(PWTC). Other than their fashion business, the couple also has a political and media consultancy firm.
Election results
See also
* Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trials - 2008 allegation
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Living people
1985 births
People from Johor Bahru
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Malaysian activists
Malaysian businesspeople
Independent politicians in Malaysia
Malaysian United Indigenous Party politicians
21st-century Malaysian politicians