Is sodomy accuser in Malaysia by-election part of a ‘character assassination’ plot against Anwar Ibrahim?
The prime minister-in-waiting has kicked off his campaign for a vote that could relaunch his political career, but could the appearance of Saiful Bukhari Azlan be an attempt to thwart it?
Ten years after Saiful Bukhari Azlan accused Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising him, the pair shook hands on Saturday in an awkward start to the by-election in Malaysia’s Port Dickson.
Anwar, believed by many to be the country’s next leader, just shrugged when reporters asked him about the encounter at the nomination centre.
Saiful, who used to be Anwar’s personal assistant, is running against his one-time boss in the vote but insisted it’s not because of their shared history. He insisted he was running “to promote democracy” and always had a soft spot for the constituency, since he grew up in nearby Seremban, Negri Sembilan state’s capital. Sharply dressed in a black jacket and shirt, the 33-year-old told the media he would not bring up the sodomy charge that saw Anwar sentenced to five years in prison before a royal pardon in May 2018.
“This is not about revenge … this is purely me entering a democratic process in Malaysia,” he said, denying he was being paid to run and saying he “couldn’t wait” to see 71-year-old Anwar as it had been a long time since they last met. But some observers say his candidacy is part of efforts to smear Anwar’s name and deny him political office after he teamed up with his former rival and now Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
