Malaysia's Anwar pleads not guilty to sodomy charge

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim faced his 24-year old male accuser in court on Wednesday in a trial for sodomy that could see one of Asia's best-known politicians jailed for 20 years.

The 62-year denies the charge, which he says is a plot to end his democratic challenge to a government which has ruled the Southeast Asian country for 52 years.

In a court packed with journalists, Anwar supporters and foreign diplomats, one of Anwar's daughters shouted "repent" at former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan as he entered the room.

Saiful identified Anwar as the person who had sodomised him in June 2008, saying the he had demanded sex in a condominium in uptown Kuala Lumpur.

"I was angry and afraid," Saiful told the court.

"I rejected his offer. I said I didn't want to do it," he said as the court proceedings were brought to an end with the defence lawyers asking for the case to proceed in camera.

After Saiful's comments, two of Anwar's daughters reached to support their father while his wife put her arms around the daughters.

SECOND SODOMY TRIAL FOR ANWAR

All homosexual acts are illegal in mainly Muslim Malaysia and Anwar was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to nine years in jail in 2000 in a trial that drew widespread condemnation, although the charge was later quashed.

Since his acquittal and return to parliament, Anwar has harried the government into dismissing its prime minister, who lead the National Front coalition to its worst ever showing in national and state elections in 2008.

Despite the opposition's success in winning seven of nine by-elections since the 2008 polls, just 20 people gathered outside the court to shout "reformasi" (reform), the war cry of Anwar's 1998 movement that drew tens of thousands of protesters.

The new trial has cast a shadow over Prime Minister Najib Razak's efforts to win new foreign investment for Malaysia, which saw the third biggest outflow of portfolio investment of any emerging market country in 2009.

Malaysia has been hit by a slew of negative publicity after attacks on churches by Muslims opposed to a Catholic newspaper being allowed to use the word "Allah" for God, as well as for the sentencing of a Muslim woman to caning for drinking beer.

Anwar's case is likely to turn on disputed DNA evidence and medical testimony that his lawyers say is contradictory and which they have not been given access to.

The case was adjourned until Thursday.

(Writing by David Chance; Editing by Fox)