Dr M: Court jailed Anwar in 1998, not me

(MMO) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad insisted today that he had no hand in imprisoning nemesis-turned-ally Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 for sodomy and corruption, which the latter has claimed to be politically-motivated.

The prime minister said the sentence against now incoming PKR president Anwar was decided by the judiciary, and not him.

“He was imprisoned by the court, not by me. I didn’t have the power to imprison him.

“I could detain him, but I prefer going to the court. It took nine months for the court to decide and after I stepped down, he was released,” he said during the “The Future of Democracy in Asia” held in Chatham House, London.

During the question-and-answer session, Dr Mahathir was asked on how he will rebuild the relationship with Anwar, particularly after the latter had served in jail under his administration.

In 1998, Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and finance minister in the Mahathir administration before he was charged with sodomy and corruption. He was convicted and jailed for both offences but the sodomy charge was later overturned.