Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been convicted of sodomy, prompting outrage. Photo / AP
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been convicted of sodomy, prompting outrage. Photo / AP
Foreign Minister Murray McCully has voiced New Zealand's concern over the five-year jail sentence given to Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on a charge of sodomy.
Mr Anwar will begin his sentence after Malaysia's High Court rejected his final appeal, prompting widespread outrage, with some suggesting he had been victim to Malaysian authorities' attempts to silence its most vocal critic.
Addressing the judges, Mr Anwar said: "You have become partners in crime in the murder of judicial independence."
Mr McCully responded to the court's decision today, saying: "The severity of his sentence, coupled with recent prosecution under the country's Sedition Act are of concern to New Zealand."
He said Malaysia - currently a member of the Security Council alongside New Zealand - was a prominent voice for moderation and tolerance.
"In the spirit of promoting human rights and political freedoms we have registered our concerns with the Malaysian Government and will continue to do so."
New Zealand decriminalised homosexual acts in 1986.
Mr Anwar has protested his innocence and says charges against him were politically motivated.
He was ousted as Deputy Prime Minister in 1998 after being imprisoned for sodomy - a crime in Malaysia, but one for which suspects are rarely prosecuted.
As his second prison sentence was announced in court, Mr Anwar maintained his innocence, denouncing the charges as "a fabrication".
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Mr Anwar was accused of having unlawful intercourse with his male political aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan during the opposition election campaign in 2008.
He was cleared by the High Court in 2012 but the acquittal was overturned in March last year.
Hundreds of human rights campaigners and Mr Anwar's supporters gathered outside the High Court, demanding his release.
Malaysian human rights group Suaram said that the political nature of the trial was apparent from the fact that Mr Saiful had met the Prime Minister before making an official police complaint.
Malaysian police officers struggle with supporters of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim outside Malaysia's top court yesterday. Photo / AP
Amnesty International labelled the court's decision as "an oppressive ruling that will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country".
Richard Bennett, Amnesty's Asia Pacific Director, said the judgement was "deplorable" and "just the latest chapter in the Malaysian authorities' relentless attempts to silence government critics".
He added: "The sodomy charges ... have always been politically motivated, and he should be released immediately."
A White House statement said US President Barack Obama was "deeply disappointed with Mr Anwar's conviction" and that the trial "raised a number of serious concerns about the fairness of the judicial system in Malaysia".
A supporter of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim cries while saying a prayer outside Malaysia's top court yesterday. Photo / AP
Mr Saiful, who was 23 at the time he worked for Mr Anwar, said in a blog post on Tuesday that he was thankful for the judgment made.
"What is important is that I and my family can now move forward," he wrote.
The Malaysian Prime Minister's Office said the case had been brought by an individual, not the government.
"It is beyond reasonable doubt that (Mr Saiful) was sodomised by the appellant," said Justice Arifin Zakat, who delivered Mr Anwar's sentence: "The appeal is dismissed."
