Traditional Values and Politics in South East Asia-Blog 4

The Reading this week focuses on South East Asia, so it is only fitting that the topic of this week's blog post be about a country from that area. Malaysia has been in a longterm legal and political battle that has captured the attention of Human Rights activists worldwide. The leader of the political  opposition party(Anwar Ibrihim) has been accused of Sodomy by the highest court and as such must step away from his political position and serve a five year prison sentence. The sentence produced fury from Human Rights activists and the local population. Many are calling for the law to repealed based on the obvious argument that it is archaic and unfairly singled out a specific group. Others have claimed that the legal attacks are purely politically motivated,such a theory is based in the fact that Anwar's party has gained 82 of the 222 political seats, a first for the Party. However the case against Anwar is not new he was first accused in 1998  and then again in 2002 when he was found not guilty by lower courts. Recently and amongst the political changes the case has resurfaced and this time he has been found guilty. The theory that the charges are purely political seems very possible as the evidence against him was shaky and the timing to apt. However the article alludes to a political system that has a history of corruption in the form of bribes and blackmail, as well as traditional values in regard to homosexuality. Is this traditional view of homosexuality unique to simply Malaysia or is it common throughout South East Asia.