Malaysia’s Anwar faces arrest

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim faces imminent arrest over a former aide’s accusations of sodomy – the same charge he was jailed for more than a decade ago – his lawyer said Tuesday. Sankara Nair said the investigating officer told him a warrant had been issued for Anwar’s arrest, and that he could be taken into custody when he appears at Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for questioning on Wednesday. ‘But I don’t discount him being arrested earlier. It’s a matter of execution,’ he told a press conference. ‘After speaking to the investigating officer, I think Anwar will be arrested under the Sodomy Act,’ he said, adding that a team of lawyers was on standby to apply for bail if necessary. Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is illegal in predominantly Muslim Malaysia and carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment. The home minister, Syed Hamid Albar, said police were seeking a sample of Anwar’s DNA as they investigated accusations of sexual assault levelled by 23-year-old Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan who was a volunteer in Anwar’s office. ‘Our intention is to get to the truth, we have taken DNA (from Mohamad Saiful) so we need to take Anwar’s DNA also,’ Syed Hamid told reporters. ‘I think we will be doing a disservice to the members of the public if we do not take any action,’ he added. Anwar’s Keadilan party, which leads the opposition alliance that gained unprecedented ground in March elections, warned its supporters would hold mass demonstrations if their leader is taken into custody. ‘It is surprising that they have resorted to such actions. If they arrest Anwar, we will have no choice but to take to the streets,’ said Keadilan’s information chief Tian Chua. Massive protests erupted after Anwar’s arrest on sodomy and corruption charges a decade ago, in a ‘Reformasi’ or ‘Reform’ movement that continues to reverberate in Malaysian politics to this day. Criminal Investigation Department director Bakri Zinin sidestepped questions over whether there was a warrant, but suggested police would not need it if Anwar turned up for questioning by a Wednesday deadline. ‘Why should we tell him to come at 2.00pm (0600 GMT) tomorrow. If he did not turn up, we have other options,’ he said. Anwar defied an order to be questioned by police on Monday, saying he was angry over being banned from parliament during an opposition bid to mount a debate criticising the prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. But Nair said he had agreed to a new request to appear for questioning on Wednesday. He is also due to debate with the information minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, on live television Tuesday night.