Malaysia's Anwar convicted of sodomy, political future in doubt

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A Malaysian court convicted opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy and sentenced him to five years in prison on Friday, shattering his plan to take control of the country's richest state and stoking political tension in the Southeast Asian nation following a divisive national election last year.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal unanimously voted to overturn Anwar's acquittal two years ago in a rapid ruling that his supporters and international human rights groups say was politically influenced and aimed at ending his career.

The former deputy prime minister, who was previously jailed for six years on sodomy and corruption charges, will not be jailed immediately as his lawyers won a stay of the sentence pending an appeal.

But the ruling bars Anwar from running for a seat in the state assembly of Selangor this month, a move that would likely have paved the way for him to become chief minister of Malaysia's most populous state - a potent platform from which to attack the government ahead of the next national election.

If Anwar, 66, loses his federal court appeal, he would face jail and would be barred from contesting the next national election that must be held by 2018.

A government spokesman said that Malaysia had an "independent judiciary."

Before his fall from grace, Anwar was Malaysia's political star, heir-apparent to then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad as leader of the long-ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

His sacking, following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, came after he campaigned against corruption and nepotism in politics and led a nationwide "reformasi" (reform) movement.

Ooi Kee Beng, deputy director of Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said ruling party leaders had likely been shaken by the prospect of Anwar at the helm of Selangor.

As chief minister of the state, Anwar "would be able to play a real Malay leader and not just a politician who just promises things and is a wonderful demagogue", Ooi said.

But he said the government could face a backlash from voters over the ruling, as opposition supporters are galvanised by what they see as blatant political manoeuvring by the government.