KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim could face arrest, police said Monday, after refusing to be questioned over allegations of sodomy, the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.
Anwar's Keadilan party said he defied the order because it was not served properly and he was angry over being barred from parliament where the opposition was attempting to mount an anti-government debate.
Police rolled out a massive security lockdown around parliament, saying Anwar was planning a rally in support of the motion to discuss the shortcomings of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is facing calls to quit.
"We have given him the chance and space to turn up," said Criminal Investigation Department director Bakri Zinan after Anwar's no-show. "We have other options to compel him to turn up.
Asked whether Anwar could be arrested to force him to submit to questioning, he said: "Yes, it is one of the options."
Anwar has vowed to fight the sodomy accusations levelled by 23-year-old Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, which he says have been fabricated by the government to prevent him from seizing power after landmark March elections.
Mohamad Saiful has been under police protection since accusing Anwar of sodomy -- the same charge that saw the opposition leader jailed a decade ago.
Keadilan said the police order summoning Anwar for questioning had been served on Anwar's daughter and not the opposition leader himself and that police must issue it properly.
"Anwar will not obey the order. He is at home. He is upset with the action of the police to secure a court order to ban him from going to parliament today," the party's information chief Tian Chua told AFP.
Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair said there was "no fear" of arrest and that when the order was issued properly he would cooperate fully.
The sex misconduct claim threatens to derail a stunning political comeback by Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption allegations that he said were politically motivated.
Anwar has said he is poised to seize power from Abdullah with the help of government defectors, after his opposition alliance claimed one third of parliamentary seats and five states in March elections.
AFP/ir
Channel NewsAsia
15/07/08
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