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.