Malaysia rebukes US over 'meddling' in Anwar sex claims
Sun, Jul 06, 2008
AFP
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Malaysia said Sunday it has issued a formal complaint to the United States for meddling in its handling of new sodomy allegations against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said a protest note was sent Friday to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, after her department said the US would oppose any politically motivated investigation or prosecution of Anwar.
Anwar is facing another round of sodomy accusations with a young male aide -- the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.
"We did connote the letter in such a way that we did not agree with that statement given by the official of the state department," Rais told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the D8 group of developing nations.
"In that letter, we did state that we do not expect that overture by the United States," he said.
"They must understand our rule of law set-up and they must respect our system of law," he added.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar last week blasted the United States for questioning its handling of the sex accusations against Anwar and said he was a "snitch" for America, reviving old allegations of his close ties to Washington.
Anwar faces a police investigation over the sodomy claims, which he says have been concocted by the government in an attempt to derail his plan to seize power with the help of defecting lawmakers.
He claims the latest affair is a re-run of his 1998 sacking and subsequent imprisonment on sodomy and corruption charges. He was jailed for six years until 2004 when the nation's highest court overturned the sex conviction.
He has since made a stunning return to politics in March elections that dealt the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition an unprecedented setback.
