By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Mohammed Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who claims to have been sodomised by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim two weeks ago, has challenged the latter to swear by the Quran in the presence of the Islamic clergy.
Alternatively, Ibrahim should agree to resolve the matter through ‘mubahalah’ (malediction), Azlan said Tuesday in an e-mail sent to TV3 channel, which was aired during the station’s bulletin programme.
“The truth will prevail. Falsehood will surely be exposed. I take all criticisms with an open heart. As a victim, I have the right to get protection,” Azlan, a former political aide to Ibrahim, said.
He ended the e-mail by challenging Ibrahim to set the time and date to solve the matter through mubahalah, The Star said Wednesday.
“Just inform me of the time and date. I am not afraid to keep my promise,” he added.
Azlan’s challenge was posted on the popular Friendster website and can be accessed through his fiancee Janna Mohammed Zaki’s blog – “A Step in My Pink Mary Janes”.
The controversy has taken centerstage in Malaysian politics for the last 10 days after Azlan filed a police complaint alleging sodomy by Ibrahim and the latter vehemently denying it.
Ibrahim faced the same charge 10 years ago when he was sacked as the deputy prime minister and suffered a long jail term.
He emerged as a strong opposition leader in the general elections held this March, leading an opposition alliance that won an unprecedented 82 seats in parliament and control of five of the 13 states.
Ibrahim says the sodomy charge is “a conspiracy” to prevent his return to parliament in a bye-election. His allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and top government officials has angered Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government, which took exception to the Turkish embassy here providing refuge to Ibrahim for a night.
The government has also rejected a caution by the US State Department against any “politically motivated probe” involving Ibrahim, saying the US was interfering in Malaysia’s internal affairs.
In another diplomatic stand-off, Malaysia has warned visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd against meeting Ibrahim or his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim, who is the parliamentary opposition leader, during an official visit here.