From Telegraph.co.uk

By Barney Henderson in Kuala Lumpur

Anwar says the new allegations are a conspiracy to neutralise his career, after he rallied the opposition to unprecedented election gains in 2008 and threatened the government’s half-century-long hold on power Photo: AFP/GETTY

Anwar Ibrahim, who led his party to record gains in the 2008 election, said the charges were the result of “the machinations of a dirty, corrupt few”.

A 25-year-old former male aide, Saiful Bukhari, accused Anwar of sodomy. He faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted – a ruling that would effectively end the 62-year-old’s political career. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia. (more…)

From Canadian Press
By Eileen Ng

The court in the politically charged sodomy trial of Malaysia’s opposition leader on Thursday visited the apartment where a former aide says Anwar Ibrahim coerced him into sex – a charge the defendant says is part of a high-level conspiracy.

Prosecutors also submitted security footage that they said showed the young man was in the building when he claims. (more…)

From Channel News Asia

There has been mixed reaction from the Malaysian public to the shocking testimony by Mohd Saiful Bukhari, who has accused opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising him.

On Wednesday, the 25-year-old former aide to Anwar told a packed courtroom how his former boss made sexual advances towards him. (more…)

From BBC News

The trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges has visited the apartment where his a former aide says he was assaulted.

The trial in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, opened on Wednesday after a judge rejected an appeal by defence lawyers.

Mr Anwar has consistently denied the charges, saying they are part of a political conspiracy against him.

Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and Mr Anwar faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The judge denied Mr Anwar’s lawyers advanced access to medical evidence, DNA and CCTV tapes, which they said were key in providing a proper defence. (more…)

Dari Media Rakyat

Turut didedahkan pada Rabu 25hb Jun 2008, sehari sebelum serangan seksual terakhir pada hari Khamis keesokan harinya, Saiful telah bertemu dengan pegawai polis berpangkat tinggi Penolong Kanan Komisioner SAC Rodwan Mohd Yusof (waktu itu Timbalan Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Pasukan Polis DiRaja Malaysia, sekarang Ketua Polis Melaka) di Hotel Concorde, Kuala Lumpur di bilik bernombor 619.
Sivarasa Rasiah

Hanya sebelas tahun semenjak Anwar Ibrahim dipecat dari jawatan timbalan perdana menteri, beliau menerima tamparan dengan dakwaan liwat dan seolah-olahnya tuduhan rasuah (penyelewengan kuasa). Beliau berdepan dengan dua perbicaraan yang dikutuk seluruh dunia sebagai perbicaraan tidak adil dan bermotivasikan kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Hasilnya beliau menghabiskan enam tahun dalam tahanan di Penjara Sungai Buloh, dikurung bersendirian selama pemenjaraan hanya dibenarkan bertemu dengan ahli keluarga dan para peguam sahaja. Akhirnya bekas Perdana Menteri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad mendapat hukuman setimpal dengan berat hati dipaksa bersara pada bulan Oktober 2003. Kemudiannya Anwar dibebas dan dilepaskan pada 2 haribulan September 2004 pada tahap terakhir rayuannya di mahkamah mengubah penghakiman kes liwatnya.

(more…)

From Reuters

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim heads for trial on Tuesday on a charge of sodomy, placing the country’s courts under scrutiny again after his doubtful conviction for the same offence almost a decade ago.

Anwar was tried first on corruption charges and then for sodomy after his sacking as Deputy Prime Minister in 1998 amid a political feud with then premier Mahathir Mohamad.

His case drew a chorus of international criticism with then-U.S. Vice President Al Gore saying at the time that the trial “mocked international standards of justice.” (more…)

Dari Malaysia Kini

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mahu Utusan Malaysia dikenakan tindakan menghina mahkamah berhubung laporan akhbar itu hari ini mengenai perbicaraan kes liwat melibatkan ketua pembangkang itu.

Beliau yang ditemui sebelum meninggalkan perbicaraan hari ini berkata semakan melalui rekod mahkamah dan peguamnya menunjukkan apa yang dilaporkan oleh akhbar itu tidak tepat.

“Dalam kes ini kalau dah ada pertuduhan, biar saya diberi keadilan. Tiada kenyataan yang disebut di muka depan Utusan, maknanya Utusan ini jadi alat Umno. Dia nak lawan depan tak boleh, dia fitnah kotor biadap dan jijik begini,” katanya. (more…)

Pagi ini prosiding perbicaraan bersambung dengan keterangan yang diberikan oleh petuduh secara tertutup atau lebih dikenali sebagai keterangan in camera. Setelah semalam fitnah dilemparkan, dibaluti cerita jijik, kononnya saya mahu lakukan perbuatan terkutuk itu, petuduh tanpa rasa malu dan takut kepada Allah SWT, menyambung memberi keterangan berasaskan skrip drama usang 1998. Tertanya-tanya samada sutradara yang sama digunakan untuk Fitnah Siri 2 ini. Saya dan Azizah pastinya tidak terkejut jikalau sutradara yang sama masih mengarah drama kotor ini. Cumanya drama ini juga merupakan satu tragedi buat bangsa dan negara. Rakyat menjadi hakim kebobrokan mereka yang sanggup menjadi alat regim zalim ini.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 4 February 2010

I am shocked with the report of NST today which titled “PKR ready to refer Lim Guan Eng to Pakatan Rakyat”.
I deeply regret that NST has maliciously misquoted my statement. Upon reading the news, I called the reporter to seek clarification. Subsequently he admitted over the phone that the line was not written by him and it has been inserted by the editor.

I hereby call on the NST to take immediate action to correct the misrepresentation of PKR’s stance on this issue.

In my phone interview, I unequivocally said that YB Dato’ Seri Zahrain is wrong to lash out at CM Lim Guan Eng. I stressed that inter-party relations and complaints should be brought up in Leadership Council of Pakatan Rakyat.

I have never said that PKR will refer Zahrin’s criticism against Lim Guan Eng into the discussion of Pakatan Rakyat leadership. In fact I maintained that such move is unnecessary and inappropriate.

PKR is fully supportive of CM Lim Guan Eng and our relationship with DAP as coalition partner is strong and solid. We understand that the cooperation and unity of Pakatan Rakyat represnts a great threat to the ruling Barisan Nasional. BN has tried various divisive measures to sow suspicion between partners of Pakatan Rakyat.

I would like to reiterate that PKR’s commitment to advance the agenda for democratic reforms is unshakeable. To realise this objective, it is essential to continue strengthen good relationship with DAP and PAS.

SAIFUDDIN NASUTION ISMAIL
Secretary-General
Parti Keadilan Rakyat

From Australian Financial Review

When Anwar Ibrahim walks into the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, he will at least know what to expect.

Anwar, Malaysia’s one-time deputy prime minister and now the de facto leader of the first credible opposition in Malaysia’s independent history, is facing the third incarceration of his life. The first was a 22-month detention when a student leader in the 1970s; the second a six-year stint in 1998 for sodomy (overturned in 2004) and corruption, during the administration of his one-time mentor, Mahathir Mohamed. Now, he faces another sodomy charge, and the potential of 20 years in jail. Locally the press are calling it Sodomy II, like a sequel. “They use the same script,” he tells the AFR in an interview in his Kuala Lumpur offices. “I’ll leave it to the lawyers. I don’t have any trust in the system.”

That’s no surprise. Anwar’s trial represents an enormously significant moment for Malaysia, because it could make or break the opposition movement at a time of intense racial tension on a scale the country hasn’t seen since the race riots of the 1960s. Malaysia, though a sometimes uneasy patchwork of a Muslim Malay majority and significant Chinese and Indian minorities, has for decades been amongst the most moderate and peaceful of Muslim nations. Yet in recent months it has become a place where churches are firebombed over the right for Christians to use the word Allah, and where cows’ heads are kicked around outside Hindu temples. (more…)