07 June 1999

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysians, stunned by the whirlwind downfall of the country's ousted deputy prime minister, face a new round of political drama when Anwar Ibrahim goes on trial for sodomy.

The new trial, starting Monday, is likely to be even more lurid than Anwar's first trial on corruption charges, which came after he was sacked by his former mentor Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last year and beaten in police custody.

The country's former heir apparent was sentenced in April to six years prison, convicted of forcing police to extract retractions from two people who accused him of illegal sex.

The new trial will focus on a charge in which Anwar is accused of sodomizing his former family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar, in May 1992. Anwar's adopted brother, Sukma Dermawan, will be tried together with Anwar for allegedly assisting him in the act of sodomy.

When Mahathir fired Anwar, he called him depraved and unfit to rule this Southeast Asian nation. Anwar, who has denied all the charges, insists he is the victim of a conspiracy to wreck his political career.

Which version of events was true was left unclear from the first trial, which began in November, during which Azizan took the stand and claimed he was forced into sexual slavery by his former employer.

``In the name of Allah ... I have become a victim of homosexual acts by Anwar Ibrahim,'' Azizan told a stunned courtroom. ``This heinous act was committed several times in 1992 against my will. Finally I made the decision to stop from becoming a homosexual slave to this man, Anwar Ibrahim, whom I regard as an animal.''

The defense tried without success to impeach Azizan for lying after he appeared to contradict himself -- he said during cross-examination that he never had sex with Anwar.

The prosecutors also dragged into the courtroom a queen-sized mattress that was supposedly stained with Anwar's semen, according to a state DNA expert.

Many Malaysians are wondering what evidence the government could possibly drag out to prove that Anwar committed acts of sodomy, a crime in this predominantly Muslim country.

``For me to be convinced, the government will have to bring out some really full-proof stuff like videocassettes and taped recordings,'' said Hazel Ong, a marketing executive who walked past the red-bricked courthouse where the trial will be held. ``It's hard to know who's telling the truth if it's just the words of Azizan against Anwar.''

Source : Obtained from Gay Wired - Daily News Briefs