Let courts decide Anwar's fate: Mahathir

Let courts decide Anwar's fate: Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that Malaysia's neighbors should let the country's courts decide the fate of his sacked deputy instead of implying that the government had influence over the case.

"The judiciary in Malaysia is not beholden to the government unlike the judiciary in some countries where you can be sure they will decide for the government and make sure that whoever attacks the government will be punished to the point that there will be no return for them," Mahathir told reporters.

Philippine President Joseph Estrada said on Wednesday that Anwar Ibrahim, sacked as finance minister and deputy prime minister and charged with sodomy and corruption, should not be treated as a common criminal but instead released and placed under house arrest pending his trial.

Estrada said Indonesian President B.J. Habibie also shared his concern and the Philippines and Indonesia may make a joint appeal to Malaysia on the matter.

Mahathir said the Malaysian government did not have control of the judiciary and therefore could not decide on Anwar's fate. He cited the beating of black motorist by white policemen in the United States several years ago as an example of brutality elsewhere.

Lawyers

Meanwhile Anwar's lawyers said on Thursday they would pursue a high court application seeking his release from indefinite detention under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

Anwar remains in jail however as he was immediately remanded in custody on other charges, since the High Court last week refused his plea for bail.

The High Court has set Oct. 24 to hear the habeas corpus application filed by Anwar's wife Azizah on Oct. 8, naming Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor as respondent.

In filing the application a week ago Azizah had said the facts supporting the habeas corpus application will be read when the application is heard in the high court."

Malaysian newspapers reported on Thursday that authorities are ready to prosecute jailed dissident Anwar on six sodomy and corruption charges in addition to the four charges he now faces.

Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah said the prosecution had applied to the High Court to fix a trial date, the New Straits Times daily reported.

"The prosecution has all the necessary evidence ... for all the 10 charges against Anwar," he said, rejecting speculation that authorities weren't ready to prosecute.

Anwar, 51, was fired Sept. 2 as deputy prime minister and arrested 18 days later. He had clashed with Mahathir over economic policy before being dismissed for alleged immoral homosexual acts and corruption.

Anwar has pleaded innocent to all five counts of corruption and five counts of sodomy, claiming they were trumped up by his political adversaries. He has been ordered to stand trial Nov. 2.

Mohtar said that if the hearings on the first four corruption charges could be completed by November, the prosecution would apply for hearing dates for the other charges in December or January.