KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim may be arrested in the next 48 hours, a senior party official said Thursday, saying it is to stop him contesting a by-election.
Anwar has been accused of sodomy, which he denies, saying it is a politically motivated move to stop him challenging the government.
"We will not rule out the possibility of Anwar being arrested. And it looks like they are planning to charge him by Monday," Tian Chua, Keadilan party's information chief, told AFP.
"They may arrest him in the next 48 hours. It is aimed to prevent him from contesting in a by-election," he added.
Anwar scheduled a press conference for 0700 GMT Thursday. Party officials said it is about his by-election plan.
Anwar said Wednesday he will fight a by-election later this year and form a new government despite the sodomy allegation hanging over him.
"There are thousands of criminal cases not properly investigated. Why pursue this with zeal and in an unjust way? Is it because I will participate in a by-election?" Anwar told reporters.
"You want me to withdraw? No. I will continue to pursue the change. Let's see if they want to charge me," he said after being interviewed by Islamic sharia enforcement officials over the allegations.
Anwar has said the claims of a young male aide, a repeat of charges that saw him jailed a decade ago before being overturned, have been fabricated to block his plans to topple the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for half a century.
He has demanded that police stop the investigation and called the aide, 23-year-old Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, an "outright liar" who was working with others in power to frame him.
-AFP/ir
Channel NewsAsia
31/07/08
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