Court rejects Anwar libel case

Anwar remains a political rallying point

Malaysia's highest court has dismissed a defamation suit brought against Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed by his jailed former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.

The suit, which was thrown out more than a year ago by the High Court, related to allegations made by Dr Mahathir about Anwar's sex life, shortly after he sacked him in September 1998.

They've dropped the last stone on him where this case is concerned

Lawyer Karpal Singh

On Friday the Federal Court upheld the High Court's decision, and ordered Mr Anwar to pay legal costs.

"They've dropped the last stone on him where this case is concerned," Anwar's lawyer Karpal Singh said.

Anwar was sentenced in 1999 to six years' jail for corruption and to a further nine years for sodomy.

The former deputy prime minister has consistently argued that the convictions were politically motivated, part of a conspiricy engineered by Dr Mahathir, his former mentor.

But the prime minister has said Mr Anwar received a fair trial and denies there was any conspiracy to remove him from power.

News conference

In addition to pursuing appeals against the criminal convictions, Mr Anwar brought the 100 million ringgit ($26.3m) libel case against Dr Mahathir on the basis of remarks made by the prime minister at a news conference in 1998.

Anwar sued Mahathir over remarks made at a press conference

Dr Mahathir told international media that his former deputy had broken Malaysian laws banning sodomy, and was therefore unfit to hold high political office.

Mr Anwar took his case to the Federal Court after the High Court dismissed the suit as "frivolous" and an abuse of the judicial process.

BBC south-east Asia correspondent Simon Ingram says that despite the blow of losing the case, Mr Anwar remains an icon and rallying point for an opposition movement which continues to pose Dr Mahatir real problems.

Medical attention

But in recent weeks Mr Anwar has been in the public eye less because of his political activities than because of a severe back ailment, which has left him hospitalised.

The authorities have so far refused calls to allow him to travel abroad for treatment.

His nine-year sentence for sodomy will begin after his six-year sentence for corruption, imposed in April 1999, comes to an end.