Anwar Ibrahim moves to have trial judge disqualified

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Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has moved to have the judge in his sodomy trial disqualified. [AFP]

Last Updated: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:10:00 +1100

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has moved to have the judge in his sodomy trial disqualified, complaining he had refused to rein in biased media coverage.

The trial, which Mr Anwar says is a plot to end his political career, began last week with a testimony from 24-year-old former aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan who accuses Mr Anwar of sodomising him.

On Friday, defence lawyers objected when a Malay-language newspaper ran photographs of the court's closed-door visit to the apartment where the sexual encounter is said to have taken place.

Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah refused a request to admonish the daily over the pictures.

In a statement to the High Court, Mr Anwar said there was a "real danger of bias" on the part of the judge.

"The local media has condemned me as they did in 1998 without (giving me a) chance to listen to my reply," Anwar told reporters.

The judge adjourned the trial until Tuesday when he will hear the application to remove him from the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has hit out at foreign governments for interfering in the trial, which is being watched by diplomats from several Western nations.

"They are welcome to follow Anwar's trial as closely as they want but they must observe our laws and not meddle in our internal affairs by hurling all sorts of accusations," said deputy foreign minister A. Kohilan Pillay.

"The case has only just begun so these foreign countries should please leave it to Malaysia's judges to decide rather than creating their own trial by making damaging comments about our system."

Kohilan did not single out any nation for criticism but the government-linked New Straits Times reported on a speech to Australia's parliament by Michael Danby, chairman of its sub-committee on foreign affairs.

"The Malaysian legal system is being manipulated by supporters of the incumbent government to drive... Anwar Ibrahim out of national politics," Danby told parliament last week.

"Perverting the legal system for political ends by charging Anwar with sexual offences is an affront to human rights," he said.