Malaysia Government Officials

Malaysia's former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, and his adopted brother were found guilty in a Kuala Lumpur court today of sodomizing the family chauffeur, ending a lurid legal drama that galvanized Malaysians for 14 months. "Bloody, rotten judiciary!" Anwar said, hugging his wife after the verdict was read. Then he shouted, "Sick!" and hurried out of the public gallery to consult his attorneys. Anwar was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Malaysia's powerful finance minister resigned after a lengthy leave of absence, ending months of speculation amid rumors that he had fallen out with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and would quit the Cabinet. Mahathir said Daim Zainuddin, hailed as an architect of the country's rebound from the 1997-98 Asian economic crisis, officially submitted his resignation letter Friday after the prime minister returned from a trip abroad.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad easily won reelection as president of Malaysia's dominant party over one challenger. Local party divisions are still sending in nominations for president of the United Malays National Organization, but Mahathir had received 133 nominations from 165 divisions, the national news agency Bernama said. A candidate needs the backing of at least 50 divisions to run. Mahathir has ruled Malaysia for the last 18 years.

More than 25,000 opposition supporters gathered in Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's home state Saturday, pledging to end the leader's 19-year control of the Southeast Asian nation. The crowd, mostly Malay Muslims who were once Mahathir's primary backers, gathered in the town of Jitra, about 300 miles north of the capital, Kuala Lumpur. "Our political attitude is growing mature," Abdul Hadi Awang, vice president of the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, told the crowd.

Police said that they rewrote a sodomy charge against former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, changing the year of the incident from 1992 to 1993, after discovering that the building where the crime allegedly took place had not yet been built in 1992. The testimony by senior assistant police commissioner Musa Hassan came on the 46th day of the trial before the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

Lawyers defending Malaysia's ousted deputy prime minister on a sodomy charge demanded a mistrial Monday after prosecutors changed the year they say the alleged offenses occurred. The prosecution originally said Anwar Ibrahim committed "carnal intercourse" against his former family driver, Azizan abu Bakar, in May 1994. The state then changed the date to May 1992.

For a conservative Muslim country whose censors cut kissing scenes from movies, the lurid sex and corruption trial of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become an X-rated soap opera that is as titillating as it is embarrassing. First, the nation watched in disbelief as Anwar appeared before a judge bearing bruises he said he received while in police custody. Demonstrators took to the streets in protest.

Ousted Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on trial on sex and corruption charges, was barred from using his main defense--that the charges are part of an alleged government plot to ruin him. The court ruled that Anwar and his lawyers should confine their defense to proving that he never abused his powers to cover up alleged sexual trysts. Anwar was sacked by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in September and arrested two weeks later.

The five-month corruption and sex trial of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to a startling halt after his lawyers boycotted closing arguments and the judge threatened them with contempt of court. The judge ended the trial and said he will announce his verdict on the four counts of corruption April 6. Anwar was arrested Sept. 20 after leading a massive demonstration against Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's coalition scored a victory in state elections seen as a crucial test of his popularity since he fired his widely admired deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, in September. Mahathir's National Front coalition won 31 seats in the 48-member assembly in the eastern state of Sabah, enabling it to retain power in Malaysia's second-biggest state by area, the Election Commission said.

Jailed former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was hospitalized, raising the possibility that his appeal hearing set for Monday may be postponed, his lawyer said in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. A checkup at a government hospital showed that Anwar had suffered a slipped disk and may need surgery, Sankara Nair said. The Federal Court is scheduled to hear Anwar's appeal of his conviction and six-year jail sentence on corruption charges.

Malaysia's former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, and his adopted brother were found guilty in a Kuala Lumpur court today of sodomizing the family chauffeur, ending a lurid legal drama that galvanized Malaysians for 14 months. "Bloody, rotten judiciary!" Anwar said, hugging his wife after the verdict was read. Then he shouted, "Sick!" and hurried out of the public gallery to consult his attorneys. Anwar was sentenced to nine years in prison.

After nearly two years of scandal and lurid revelations, the courtroom sex saga of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is nearing a close, leaving this conservative country a bit shellshocked. Ariffin Jaka, who is both judge and jury, abruptly ended the marathon trial in late June and ordered lawyers to submit closing arguments in writing. He hopes to rule this month on whether Anwar sodomized his chauffeur as charged and, if so, on the punishment.

The High Court ruled today that Malaysia's prime minister is not required to testify in the sex trial of an ousted deputy premier, deflating defense hopes of proving that the charges are politically motivated. "There is not an iota of evidence to show that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is involved in a political conspiracy to fabricate evidence of sodomy to topple Anwar Ibrahim," Judge Ariffin Jaka said.

Several opposition leaders were arrested Friday, and riot police, some toting machine guns, were deployed in the Malaysian capital as authorities stepped up an apparent crackdown ahead of a protest in support of jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim. At least three officials of the opposition National Justice Party were arrested before dawn Friday. Police said they had orders to arrest four other rally organizers.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad easily won reelection as president of Malaysia's dominant party over one challenger. Local party divisions are still sending in nominations for president of the United Malays National Organization, but Mahathir had received 133 nominations from 165 divisions, the national news agency Bernama said. A candidate needs the backing of at least 50 divisions to run. Mahathir has ruled Malaysia for the last 18 years.

Sacked Malaysian Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim will be tried on additional sex charges after facing two trials on corruption and sodomy charges that are expected to last at least eight months, the chief prosecutor said. Anwar faces five counts of corruption and five of sodomy, all of which he denies. The first trial begins Monday, the second in December. Anwar, who also served as finance minister, was ousted Sept. 2 after repeatedly calling for political reform and action against corruption.

Several thousand demonstrators marched through Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, demanding that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resign. The crowd also demanded the release of former Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim, 51. Anwar was fired Sept. 2 and later charged with corruption and sodomy, which he has denied. The crowd was obeying orders to move on near the king's palace when police opened fire with a water cannon and tear gas. Police said 134 people were arrested.

Malaysia's ex-police chief was sentenced to two months in prison today for assaulting the former deputy premier, who was blindfolded and handcuffed to a bed in a jail cell during the attack. Abdul Rahim Noor had pleaded guilty to brutally beating Anwar Ibrahim on the night the former deputy premier was arrested in 1998, an attack that shocked Malaysians and drew international condemnation.

Faced with a growing opposition movement, Malaysia's prime minister said Wednesday that he will dissolve the legislature and hold early elections--a test of his popularity after 18 years in power. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he is confident that the governing coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957, would win two-thirds of the 192 seats in Parliament.