Anwar alleges Mahathir wanted to 'finish me off'

Anwar alleges Mahathir wanted to 'finish me off'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Ousted Malaysian deputy premier Anwar
Ibrahim told on Thursday of a face-to-face confrontation with
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whom he accused of wanting to
"finish me off."

"There was a change in his attitude towards me to finish me
off," he said on the fourth day in the witness box in his
corruption trial.

Anwar, 51, said his "heated exchange" with Mahathir came a few
days before he was sacked as deputy premier and finance minister
last Sept. 2.

"I had to ask the PM three times whether he gave specific
instructions to the police to frame and fabricate charges against
me because throughout the one year investigation... they did not
find anything incriminating."

Anwar charged that Mahathir was "angry" with him for opposing
million-dollar bailout plans. Citing an example, he said the
government reversed his decision and approved a bailout for
diversified conglomerate Renong Bhd. after he was sacked.

Judge Augustine Paul warned Anwar his evidence was veering
towards allegations of a political conspiracy -- which he had
Tuesday ruled as "irrelevant" to the trial.

Justice Paul has since ordered a media blackout on remarks
allegedly made by Mahathir and former police chief Rahim Noor in
separate meetings with Anwar.

But leading defense counsel Raja Aziz Addrusse said Anwar
wanted to show Mahathir had "malice" towards him.

Anwar is on trial on four charges of corruption alleging he
abused his position to get police to cover up sexual misconduct
allegations. He also faces a fifth corruption charge and five
counts of sodomy.

During Thursday's hearing, Anwar said he appealed to Mahathir
before he was sacked, saying he had "worked diligently and
selflessly for the party and the government.

"I said to him, if he continued these threats and
fabrications, I have no option but to fight," he added.

Earlier, he questioned allegations of sexual misconduct in
various hotels, noting he had "lots of police escorts" as a
deputy prime minister.

"How is it that they did not know my alleged rendezvous at
various hotels and apartments?" he asked.

The prosecution case rests largely on a letters sent to
Mahathir by his former driver Azizan Abu Bakar and Ummi Hafilda
Ali, sister of his former private secretary, alleging he had
extramarital affairs and was a homosexual.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail, Anwar
said the letter written by the couple was "distributed by people
who were not responsible and who were paid."

He agreed with a prosecution assertion the letter had been
"spread widely through one conspiracy starting August 1997" and
denied it had tarnished his image.

"I am lucky because even though there was slander and alliance
to shame and to create public hatred towards me, the people still
loved me and not influenced by the conspiracy," he said.

Gani complained that Anwar was again moving towards political
conspiracy and was being "evasive" in his answers.

"It is important to preserve your credibility... it is my
duty to advise you to give direct answers," the judge told Anwar.

The former leader denied he instructed special branch (SB)
officers to arrest Ummi and Azizan but said he merely told them
to "investigate deeply into the letter."

He admitted he told the special branch not to detain the
couple for too long after their arrest on Aug. 17 and that they
praised him for having a "good heart."

Anwar said he was initially reluctant to file a police report
or "take the issue to court because the SB just began their
investigations."

"I put it to you that you did not want the truth to be
exposed," Gani said. But Anwar denied this and said it was a
"theory that is used by my enemies."

Asked if retraction letters by Ummi and Azizan were beneficial
to him, Anwar said: "The (retraction) letters were due to the
investigation. How it was done I do not know... to me what is
important is the truth."