Malaysian Politician, Anwar Ibrahim, denies Sodomy allegations

MALAYSIA'S de facto opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, has denied allegations he sodomised an aide, saying the charges were an attempt by the government to discredit him.

Dr Anwar was a former deputy prime minister who was sacked in 1998 and later jailed for sodomy and corruption. He has had a revival of fortunes since a March poll when the opposition alliance recorded its best-ever result.

"The police report lodged against me earlier today is a complete fabrication," Dr Anwar said in a statement read out yesterday by his lawyer as about 200 supporters gathered outside the hotel where the news briefing was held. "I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress."

Kuala Lumpur's police chief for criminal investigations, Ku Chin Wah, said a man had filed a police complaint on Saturday claiming that Dr Anwar sodomised him.

Sodomy is punishable by 15 years' imprisonment in Malaysia, where the majority of the population is Muslim.

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Mr Ku said police had no immediate plans to arrest Anwar, despite a mobile phone message sent by Anwar's People's Justice Party warning that he would be detained during the weekend.

Mr Ku declined to say who had lodged the complaint, but the People's Justice Party identified him as Dr Anwar's private assistant, Saiful Bahari. The party said it believed the aide was coerced into making the accusation.

The Attorney-General, Abdul Gani Patail, said the police should be allowed to investigate the claims.

"The Opposition has been trying to discredit us by doing a lot of things," said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Nazri Aziz.

"Sometimes there are allegations made against members of the Government and Anwar has made all the noise. Why is it that when things are against him that he is saying that we are trying to discredit him?"

Dr Anwar has always said the earlier sodomy and corruption charges were trumped up after he fell out with the then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Anwar's opposition alliance has been snapping at the Government's heels. Public anger over prices and the ruling coalition's dismal showing in a poll in March have fuelled calls for a leadership change.

The National Front had its worst electoral setback in 50 years when it lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and ceded five states to the Opposition in March. The party needs just 30 more seats to win a simple majority and form a government. It won a record 82 seats in the Parliament's 222-seat lower house.

Dr Anwar has said he has secured tacit agreements from at least 30 National Front parliamentary members to defect to the opposition - enough to topple Abdullah Badawi's administration.

Dr Anwar did not run in the March elections because his corruption conviction barred him from holding political office for five years. The ban ended in April, and he has indicated he wants to re-enter Parliament through a by-election.