Malaysian opposition leader Anwar arrested on sodomy charges

Anwar was arrested at his home soon after he testified to the Anti-Corruption Agency on his allegations that the country's police chief and attorney general had fabricated evidence against him in 1998.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, was preparing to respond to recent sodomy charges filed against him by a former aide when some 20 balaklava-clad police officers entered his home and detained him, said Shamsul Ibrahim, head of his opposition National Justice Party's youth wing.

"Anwar is still inside the police station giving his statements," Shamsul said later Wednesday.

"The police have detained him as a suspect in the sodomy allegations and they have 24 hours to hold him," Samsul told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Shamsul said police are due to send Anwar to a hospital to collect his DNA as evidence.

"He will then be brought back to the station for further investigations," he said. Shamsul, who said he was allowed to speak to Anwar for several minutes, said Anwar was calm and doing well, adding that he urged his supporters to remain calm.

 Through its website, the party has called on all supporters to gather outside the police station as a show of support for Anwar and to "resist any attempts of provocation."

Shamsul said there are no immediate plans to organise any gatherings, saying that Anwar's family and aides would decide on the next course of action after his one night in police custody.

Anwar can be held for up to 14 days, when police must either charge him or release him, according to Malaysian law.

Anwar's family said it was unclear why the police arrested him as he had agreed to comply with their demands that he respond to the charges Wednesday afternoon.

"It's a feeling of deja vu with what happened 10 years ago," said his wife and lawmaker Wan Azizah Ismail.

"We'd already given our assurance that he would be at the police headquarters at 2 pm," she said.

Wan Azizah said Anwar called her from the police car after he was detained. "He asked me to go home to look after the children," she said.

A police spokesman said Anwar was detained to assist in investigations of alleged "carnal intercourse against the order of nature."

Bakri Zinin, head of the city's criminal investigations, said Anwar was arrested bcause police believed he would not show up to give his statement willingly.

"We wish to point out that Anwar had initially agreed to meet us on Monday but he failed to," Bakri told reporters.

Anwar said earlier he refused to give his statement on Monday out of protest. He claimed police officers had harassed and intimidated family members over the weekend.

Opposition members have slammed the police action as "provocative, unprofessional and untrustworthy."

"To spring such an arrest well before 2 pm outside (Anwar's) house has deepened public concerns and fears that the police cannot be independent, professional, responsible and trustworthy in handling the latest Anwar case," said Lim Kit Siang, head of the Democratic Action Party.

On Tuesday night, Anwar and Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek participated in a much-anticipated debate on fuel prices, which were recently raised by a whopping 40 per cent. The hour-long programme was broadcast live.

Following the debate, Anwar wrote on his blog that he was anticipating arrest "any time now."

"The debate had still gone as planned despite a situation where I am likely to be arrested by the police any time now," he said. "Surely, I feel a heavy stress but this is the best way for me to relay the message to the people that it is not impossible to reduce the price of fuel."

Last month, a former male assistant lodged a report claiming that Anwar had sodomized him.

Anwar denied the allegations and claimed the charges were an act of political vengeance, similar to his sacking and jailing in 1998.

At that time former mentor and premier Mahathir Mohamad fired Anwar, who was subsequently found guilty of sodomy and corruption.

He served six years in jail for the corruption charge, but was later cleared of sodomy.

Anwar led a three-party opposition alliance to big gains in the March 8 elections this year, where the ruling party was denied a two-thirds majority and lost control of five out of 13 states for the first time.