Anwar Ibrahim vows to topple Badawi

Anwar Ibrahim vows to topple Badawi M. Jegathesan | AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim yesterday vowed to topple the prime minister despite what he called attempts to “demonize and intimidate” him. Anwar said allegations of sodomy leveled by a 23-year-old male aide showed he posed a threat to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s National Front coalition. “We are on track to take over the government. We want to pursue this agenda for reform,” a smiling Anwar told reporters. “Clearly, I am a political threat.” Anwar spent a night in police cells last week after he was arrested on sodomy allegations he says the government fabricated to prevent him from seizing power. “What is the issue? I have not seen the (police) report (made by Saiful),” he said. Anwar’s Keadilan party aims to establish a new coalition government by the end of the year, its information chief told reporters. “We are confident a change of government will happen by year-end,” said Tian Chua. Fired up by Anwar’s charismatic presence, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance made unprecedented gains in March general elections, leaving it just 30 seats short of ousting the ruling coalition. But the accusation by aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan that Anwar sexually assaulted him threatens to derail the former deputy premier’s political comeback. Saiful’s father, Azlan Mohammad Lazim, said yesterday his son was “ready to swear at any time ... in a mosque ... that he was sodomized as reported to the police, once the investigations are over.” Anwar has refused to provide a DNA sample to police saying he feared the evidence would be manipulated, but Saiful’s lawyer yesterday urged him to cooperate. “Saiful is urging Anwar to give his DNA sample and to cooperate with the police to speed up the investigation,” Zamri Idrus told reporters. “I was appointed in July as Saiful’s counsel and I saw him just a few days ago. We are asking Anwar to cooperate with the police so that we can push for a quick end to this investigation,” he said. Anwar condemned police over his arrest last Thursday, when he spent a night in a cell and underwent a strip search. “Why ambush and arrest me? Why put me in a cell? Why treat me like a common criminal? There is a pattern to demonize and intimidate me,” he said. The comments came as Malaysia’s police chief filed a defamation lawsuit accusing Anwar of fabricating evidence.