Reformasi: The Night the Door Was Broken

The door was not knocked open.

On the night of September 20, 1998, masked police officers burst into Anwar's residence in Kuala Lumpur. Contemporary journalists observed that they entered the house armed; just hours prior, Anwar was still with tens of thousands of supporters around the National Mosque and Merdeka Square.^1,2,3

During the day, there were microphones, crowds, and the cries of "Reformasi".

By nightfall, all that remained was a breached door and a former deputy prime minister taken away.^1,2,3

Two views, in brief

The government's version was that Anwar faced serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, and his dismissal and investigation were not due to differences in economic views; Mahathir later publicly denied any political conspiracy and stated that Anwar was no longer suitable to be prime minister.^2,4

Anwar and his supporters argued that the allegations were political tools to thwart the succession and reforms. Amnesty International also concluded at the time that the timing of the arrest and the manner of the charges indicated political motives; this was a judgment by a human rights organisation, not a court ruling that a conspiracy existed.^1,5,6

This article does not preemptively pass judgment for either side. What it seeks to examine is: from the dismissal to the arrest, how did the state turn a high-level power struggle into a nationwide debate about police powers, public assembly, and procedural justice?

Eighteen Days Ago, He Was Still in the Cabinet#

On September 2, Anwar was dismissed from his posts as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister; on September 4, he was subsequently expelled from UMNO. Less than three weeks earlier, he was still the publicly designated successor, but now he didn't even have his party membership.^2,4,5

Mahathir stated the decision stemmed from moral and behavioural allegations he had come to believe. In public speeches, he maintained that he had originally still intended for Anwar to succeed him, until the police provided information; Anwar, meanwhile, labelled the entire affair a political conspiracy, pointing his finger at corruption, cronyism, and the succession of power.^2,4,5

We must pause here.

"The government made allegations" is a fact; "the allegations are therefore all true" is not the same sentence. "Anwar alleged a conspiracy" is also a fact; "the conspiracy has been judicially proven" is equally not the same sentence.

What can truly be confirmed from public records is that the political space was rapidly shrinking. Several individuals around Anwar were arrested one after another, some detained under the _Internal Security Act (ISA)_; the _ISA_ permitted detention without a standard criminal trial, elevating the case from a dispute over personal character to a struggle over state power.^1,2,6

September 20, The Streets Give Another Answer#

That afternoon, Anwar appeared near the National Mosque. The crowd subsequently moved towards Merdeka Square; contemporary reports noted that he demanded Mahathir step down and continued to propose political reforms.^1,2,3

Estimates of the crowd size were not entirely consistent, so there is no need to mythologise a single number. What matters is that, in the heart of the capital where the ruling coalition had long held power, a newly expelled former deputy prime minister brought the succession crisis to the public streets for the first time.^1,2,5

"Reformasi" also changed its meaning here.

It borrowed a word already in use by the Indonesian reform movement, but it did not stop at "making Anwar prime minister." The issues raised on the streets gradually encompassed the judiciary, police, corruption, media, and fair elections. One man's ordeal began to serve as the gateway for many to examine the system.^2,5,6

Then, The Camera Returns to That Door#

After the march ended, Anwar returned home. That night, police officers entered his house and took him away; for the next few days, he made no public appearances and could not immediately stand before the public to explain what had happened to him like a normal defendant.^1,2,3,6

The government, of course, has the right to investigate criminal allegations.

But investigative power is not a blank cheque. Whether the person under investigation has access to lawyers, doctors, and family, whether they are protected from violence, and whether evidence is tested in an open court, determines whether an investigation is executing the law or demonstrating power.

On September 29, part of the answer finally walked into the courtroom.

When Anwar reappeared, the first thing everyone saw was not the charge sheet.

It was his left eye.

Next article: "Anwar's Black Eye: A Photo the Nation Couldn't Look Away From". Nine days later, the courtroom doors opened; the injuries appeared publicly for the first time, and initial explanations quickly crumbled under investigation.