Malaysia's Anwar eyes return to parliament in by-election

27 July, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim said Sunday that he aims to return to parliament for the first time in a decade later this year if a court orders a by-election near his home town.

A high court in Kedah state will hear a challenge on August 19 asking it to invalidate the result in a seat that was won by his Keadilan party in March 8 general elections.

Anwar told AFP that if the court declares the result null and void he will contest the ensuing by-election.

"My plan is to contest in the Kulim-Bandar Baharu seat. I am optimistic of victory," he told AFP.

"The constituency neighbours my hometown of Permatang Pauh in Penang. I am familiar with the locals there."

A return to parliament would be a next step in the political rehabilitation of Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 and later jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.

The sex conviction was overturned but the corruption count barred him from public office until April.

Anwar, who was considered the heir apparent to then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad when he was fired, was to formally announce his plan at a party rally in the constituency later Sunday.

However, he admitted that new sodomy allegations levelled against him by a 23-year-old male former aide had put an "additional burden" on his family and his return to politics.

He said the claims were fabricated to prevent him seizing power and showed he posed a serious threat to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition, which has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years.

The opposition parties -- Keadilan, the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) -- humbled the governing Barisan Nasional coalition with unprecedented gains in the March elections.

Rallied by Anwar, the parties won more than a third of parliamentary seats and five of the 13 states in the general election, delivering Barisan Nasional its worst result since 1969.

In April, they announced a strategic alliance, and Anwar said that PAS and DAP leaders had promised to mobilise their supporters for a by-election.