ANWAR ON TURKISH EMBASSY STAY

ANWAR ON TURKISH EMBASSY STAY

I WAS SCARED PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS... RUNNING AWAY

7 July, 2008

DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has opened up about his stay at the Turkish Embassy last weekend when sodomy allegations swirled around him.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, he said that when news of Mr Mohd Saiful Bukhari's accusations first surfaced, his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, told him: 'What will happen if they come in?'

Mr Saiful had lodged a police report on 28 Jun, claiming he had been forcibly sodomised by MrAnwar two days before.

Speaking at his party's headquarters, the 59-year-old said he was concerned that running off to the Turkish Embassy would be seen as a sign of guilt.

He said Parti Keadilan party deputy president Syed Husin Ali had wanted to arrange a 'separate political bureau meeting to come out with a strong recommendation'.

'I told Syed Husin, 'Let me think about it. People may interpret it as running away or seeking political asylum',' said Mr Anwar.

He added that in the end, he had gone because he was worried about his safety and his wife's concerns.

WORRY ON FACE

'She (Azizah) is okay with the whole political situation. To deal with the malicious attacks, she is quite used to it. But .. my personal safety, I saw her (face), it was very real.'

So last Sunday (29 jun), just after early morning prayers, Mr Anwar went to the embassy.

'The ambassador was there waiting. I went in. I had breakfast and then I went to sleep,' he said.

But he admitted he didn't get much shut-eye - 'about half an hour, an hour'.

'Because they were all there coming back and forth - the legal team, the security, issues. Because I didn't know what it was all about, in detail, where, and things like that,' he said of the sodomy allegations.

Yet, Mr Anwar said he wasn't planning on staying too long at the embassy.

'The moment we've all the statements, making explicit about my personal security then I told the ambassador, I think I'd leave,' he said.

'I don't feel comfortable (staying in the embassy) because a lot of things you're not able to do... You have to be with your people, you have to plan, listen to them, you have to start meeting people.'

As for the man leading the sodomy charge against him, Mr Anwar admitted it was a 'mistake' to have hired Mr Saiful in the first place.

He said the 23-yar-old started off in the party as a driver for the first 10 days, and after that, he was only a volunteer under a 'part-time allowance'.

He added: 'It is inexcusable for my establishment. But overall we have thousands of volunteers but somehow he got into the establishment.'

He added that Mr Saiful had appeared to be very critical of Barisan Nasional, and had said he was a supporter and 'would die for Anwar'.

Mr Anwar said he even defended Mr Saiful against criticisms about his background because 'it is my character'.

He said: 'When you say that he was terrible... and ardent racist, pro-Najib, I said, 'Okay, that was two years ago. He does not have access to other views. Is there any evidence if he's doing anything (of this sort) now?'.

Mr Anwar also admitted that he took Mr Saiful, as his personal aide, for trips overseas but 'wouldn't go into details'.

But he said his aides would 'take turns' to accompany him on trips, including chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob and senior party official Khalid Jaafar.