KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claims that the newest sodomy allegation against him stems from a political conspiracy to thwart his return to Parliament.

'This is an attempt to derail our plan for another general election. It is to quash my political career. We nearly won (the government) and this week I was supposed to announce which constituency I was to contest in the by-election.

'It is also this week I was going to announce that four Barisan Nasional MPs are joining us in Pakatan Rakyat. The four were going to join me on stage to announce it. This is the reason they (the alleged perpetrator) were forced to act (against me),'' Anwar said after he came out of refuge from the Turkish Embassy at 6.45pm yesterday.

He had been staying at the embassy since Sunday morning following a police report lodged by a former aide the day before.

The aide, 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, had alleged that he had been sodomised by Anwar at a condominium in Damansara on Thursday.

Anwar, however, declined to disclose where and when he would be contesting but said the allegations against him were a repeat on the 1998-1999 fiasco which saw him being accused of sodomy.

He also said that he was concerned when Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that investigations would be handed to the police as he (Anwar) felt that the police leadership was questionable.

He said he had evidence that two very senior officials in the police and legal authorities were involved in fabricating evidence against him.

On his leaving the embassy, Anwar said he was not asked to leave the Turkish Embassy but had left on his own terms and conditions.

'I have decided to come out as the Government has given me an assurance and I want to see what will happen.

'I left with the guarantee on my personal safety. Only when we were satisfied that the personal safety was given (by the Government), the ambassador willingly allowed me to leave,' said Anwar.

'The assurance came from Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. There is also a statement today (yesterday) from Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar that they would protect me,' he added.

In Shah Alam, WANI MUTHIAH reports that Anwar and top PKR leaders gathered at the Quality Hotel since 8pm yesterday to discuss the allegations.

It is believed the meeting also discussed PKR's next political move.

A source said it was decided in the meeting that Anwar would go to Selangor CPO Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar's office at 2pm today to lodge a report against Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

He added that Anwar and other PKR leaders would also determine a suitable time for Barisan Nasional MPs to cross over to PKR.