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Malaysia's Anwar vows to seize power

by Dave Keating | July 2, 2008 at 06:14 am | 125 views | add comment

As the likelihood of a coup in Malaysia increased, the Malaysian government is accusing the U.S. of interfering in it's internal affairs. The government has filed criminal sodomy charges against opposition leader and former prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, and the US has launched an investigation into the allegations, and the state department said it will oppose politically motivated charges against Ibrahim.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has vowed to seize power soon, stepping up his campaign against the government as he fights back an accusation of sodomizing a young worker in his office.

Addressing some 7,000 people on Tuesday night, Anwar accused the ruling National Front coalition government of being corrupt, inefficient and uncaring. He promised to set right the problems plaguing the country, including bringing down fuel prices, which were raised by a whopping 41 percent to 63 percent last month.

The opposition will "rule in a short while" and "the next day we will lower the price of oil," he said to loud cheers in his first public meeting since he was hit by the sodomy accusation last week.

Police are investigating the allegation by a 23-year-old male aide. Anwar, 60, who is married with six children, says he is a victim of a conspiracy by a desperate government clinging to power.

Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

The government has denied any hand in the claim.