By Jalil Hamid
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's main opposition leaderAnwar Ibrahim filed a defamation suit on Monday from his refugein the Turkish embassy against a male aid who accused him ofsodomy in the latest lurch in the country's political storm.
Anwar said he feared for his life when he fled to Turkey'sembassy at the weekend in a political drama that has echoes ofthe country's worst political crisis 10 years ago.
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, who complained thatTurkey was interfering in Malaysia's internal affairs, said theTurkish embassy would ask Anwar to leave as soon as possible.
"The ambassador will try to get Anwar Ibrahim out as soonas possible, as soon as convenient," Rais said after summoningTurkish Ambassador Barlas Ozener.
His wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said Anwar would leave theembassy if the Prime Minister personally guarantees his safety."He will cooperate with the police," she said. "These are alllies. We have been through this before."
Anwar's lawyers filed a defamation suit against hisaide-turned-accuser, 23-year-old Saiful Bukhari Azlan, one ofthe lawyers said. It asserts the police report filed againsthim was an abuse of due process of law.
The sodomy allegations emerged two months after Anwar waseligible again to hold political office after being jailed adecade ago for sodomy and corruption. Sodomy is an abhorrentcrime in Malaysia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The former deputy premier had said he has been engineeringdefections aimed at overturning Prime Minister AbdullahBadawi's majority in parliament at a time when Abdullah wasfacing pressures from his own party to step down.
Political tensions have risen sharply in Malaysia sincepolls on March 8 that dealt Prime Minister Abdullah's NationalFront coalition its worst electoral setback amid voterdiscontent over rising prices and corruption. The Front lostpower in five of Malaysia's 13 states as well as itstraditional two-thirds majority in parliament.
INVESTORS CONCERNED
The key stock index fell 0.7 percent at the midday break onthe news that can only add to an uncertain outlook and willlikely cloud policy-making at a time when escalating food andfuel prices are stoking public discontent.
"It probably adds to political uncertainty that is cloudingthe outlook for Malaysia -- one more factor that might pumpinvestors to avoid the Malaysian market, as if there weren'tenough things to worry about that are clouding marketsworldwide," said David Cohen of Singapore-based ActionEconomics.
Malaysian Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop playeddown those concerns. "At the end of the day, what matters isthe economic fundamentals despite the challenges," he toldreporters. "I am confident we will do very well."
Anwar, 60, arrived at the Turkish embassy in a Kuala Lumpursuburb on Sunday morning, 12 hours after the accusationssurfaced, saying he had received death threats.
Home (Interior) Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Anwar's lifewas not in any danger. "He should be able to discern betweenreality and play-acting," he told reporters at parliament."Anwar went into the Turkish embassy on the pretext of talkingto the ambassador, but he never came out."
Anwar said he went to the embassy at the invitation of theTurkish ambassador. His aides said other embassies made similaroffers but Anwar chose Turkey because he is an economic adviserto the Turkish government.
Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 in themidst of the Asian financial crisis after leading a "reformasi"(reform) movement against then premier Mahathir Mohamad. He wasthen jailed for sodomy and corruption. The Supreme Courtoverturned the sodomy conviction in 2004.
Neither Anwar nor his party have elaborated on the deaththreats he said he had received. "I have been told that myassassination has not been ruled out as a means to subvert thepeople's will and bring an end to the transformational changestaking place in Malaysia," Anwar said in a statement on Sunday.
Prime Minister Abdullah said the government had notinstigated the case against Anwar.
The alleged victim had been taken to hospital forexamination, Federal criminal investigation chief Bakri Zininsaid.
Anwar's sacking in 1998 brought tens of thousands onto thestreets. Police have warned Anwar's supporters against holdingany public protests and Anwar himself has called for restraint.
(Additional reporting by Faisal Aziz; Editing by BillTarrant and Sanjeev Miglani)
