It would be difficult for Malaysians not to attach themselves to today's experience at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Any right thinking Malaysian capable of the flimsiest emotions would weep just as the heavens did when Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister (DPM), was slammed with a nine years jail sentence for sodomy, a punishment he is to serve after six years in jail for corruption practices.

You could relate to today's event because you would be thinking that if a former DPM could be handled in such a ruthless fashion, then what hope is left now, what kind of justice is available for normal Malaysians like you and I?

You could relate to today's event because if you were his wife, you would be deprived not only of a husband, your family's psychological structure would collapse in shambles, your dignity (whatever that is left) would be dragged through the mud. There would be crude images imprinted on everyone's mind and shadows of doubt if a crime had actually taken place.

You could relate to today's event because if you were his parent or his child, you would not only feel the absence of a loving son and father, your daily existence would be hellish.

You would experience endless attacks from peer groups, neighbors, eves drop on scandalous gossips behind your back, perhaps fight an endless battle all on your own, in a desperate attempt to defend your family's good name.

And yet it would be understandable if you could relate to today's event if you were simply a normal Malaysian because what had happened to Anwar and Sukma today could very well happen to you, your family members, your friends or even your loved ones.

So that to say that this has nothing to do with you, that this is merely a problem between a former DPM and the prime minister, a tussle between different fractions of the Malay community, a political conspiracy of the highest level, is a weak assertion of your actual cowardice, a lie you would 
have to live with for the rest of your life, a  selfish attitude that has no place on this earth if you wish to continue breathing as a human being.

They say that this man is a political prisoner, imprisoned by a political master, convicted due to a political conspiracy.

You see, it really doesn't matter in which camp you belong to, the basic rule is that if you fail to toe the line or dare to challenge this political monster, you will have to face the music loud and clear.

"If this is the price I have to pay for freedom, then so be it," said Anwar after his judgement today.

A brave statement I would say from a man who is about to languish behind cold prison bars. Yet for a man to pay such a horrendous price without ordinary Malaysians like us sharing part of the burden is cruel, heartless and devoid of all humanity.

What can you do to relieve this man of his burden? If you believe in him but have lost faith in Malaysia's justice system, you can tell everyone why this man should not be found guilty.

You can tell your family and friends who are confused, uncertain of what all these mean, that the incredible witnesses produced by the prosecution were duly accepted by the judge without any deliberation.

You can tell people why the judgement day was postponed. The judge was not prepared. But could it be more of a threat to the powers that be of what a "reformasi" movement can do if people do not hear what they want to hear on that fateful day, the "infamous" Aug 4?

You can talk about Anwar's alibis and how the evidence were tampered with, how dates of the crime in question were amended several times.

You could challenge anyone if they had ever heard of this madness exercised in any court of law. Courts, judges and prosecutors, who until today seemed to be our only hope for legal justice?

You can ask people whether it is fair, justified or normal for sentences to run consecutively or should it run concurrently, even on the assumption that the conviction is true?

Does such a long sentence seem proper, does it seem too harsh, don't you think a sodomy conviction would set a grave precedence, where even husbands and wives would someday be convicted if they had a political motivation or had offended a political master?

Do think about the special privileges accorded to the prime minister who once told all and sundry that he had proof of his deputy's wrong doings but refused to attend court when he was requested.

Think about everything and wake up to the realities of what a corrupt, bias and morally bankrupt government can do to a person who is perceived as a political threat or a symbol of change, a revolution capable of tilting the political balance upside down.

If you could do all these, then may be someday there will be hope - for Anwar, for you, for me and for Malaysia.

Today's event is not merely about a verdict or a sentence meted out by the courts to an ordinary convict. It is one of the saddest day for Malaysia's justice and political system.

It is a shame that while we can rant of the many successes physical development projects in this country, pretend that the economy is blushing and blooming, we fail to proof beyond a reasonable doubt, even to ourselves that the courts, judges and prosecutors are free, independent and true 
pursuers of justice.

How sad.

Susan