a Malaysia for Malaysians

Malaysia’s foremost opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday he would soon leave the Turkish embassy, where he has been taking refuge following sodomy accusations against him.

The former deputy premier told Reuters in a brief telephone interview that he would leave by 6:00 a.m. EDT, and that he had not sought political asylum, but went there on “humanitarian grounds.”

Anwar said the allegation that he committed sodomy with a young aide was probably a ploy to distract public attention from rising food and fuel prices and other scandals afflicting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s government.

(Reporting by Jalil Hamid; Editing by Bill Tarrant)