KUALA LUMPUR - THE Myanmar doctor, who examined Saiful Bukhari Azlan, is standing by his medical report that the former aide to Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was not sodomised.

In a statutory declaration he filed on Aug 1, Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid alias Than Aung, reiterated that he stood by 'his findings'.

'For the record I would like to confirm that I strongly stand firm on my findings', he said in his statutory declaration.

He also claimed that additional words and even paragraphs were added to his statement to the police.

Mr Saiful was examined by Dr Mohamed Osman at Hospital Pusrawi before he lodged a police report alleging he had been sodomised by Mr Anwar.

The Myanmar national was pulled into the centre of the sodomy allegation controversy, when the report was leaked and posted on blogs on July 29.

The hospital has since stated that Dr Mohamed Osman had not carried out a sodomy related examination on Mr Saiful.

'For record, however, I would like to confirm that I strongly stand firm on my findings,' said Dr Mohamed Osman in the Aug 1 statutory declaration.

He also claimed that additional words and even paragraphs were added to his statement to the police on the matter.

The latest turn comes soon after Mr Anwar was charged in court on Thursday morning.

He was released on bail after pleading not guilty to sodomy charges, ahead of a by-election tipped to return him to parliament this month.

'This is a slander, it is a malicious allegation and I am not guilty,' Mr Anwar said from the dock after being accused of sodomising 23-year-old Saiful on June 26.

Mr Anwar, a former deputy premier who was jailed a decade ago on similar charges that were later overturned, has said the new allegations have been concocted by the government to prevent him from seizing power.

Despite fears he would not be given bail, Sessions Court judge Komathy Suppiah set Mr Anwar free on a RM20,000 bond until the next hearing on Sept 10.

Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is illegal in this conservative and predominantly Muslim nation, and carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment.

The charges indicated the alleged sex act was consensual. Mr Saiful has reportedly said it took place at an up-market Kuala Lumpur apartment. -- THE STAR, AFP