Dr Mahathir refuses to apologise for calling Anwar 'gay'

Dr Mahathir refuses to apologise for calling Anwar 'gay'

Sinchew-I. Publication Date : 2005-10-08. ANN

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad refused to apologise to his one-time deputy Anwar Ibrahim and rejected a demand for RM100 million (US$26.7 million) in damages for calling Anwar a homosexual.

"My client disagrees with any demands from Anwar," said a letter from V.K. Lingam & Co, the law firm representing Dr Mahathir, that was served to Anwar's lawyers at S.N. Nair & Partners.

Once close friends, Anwar was viewed as Dr Mahathir's successor and "blue-eyed boy," but the two had a falling out in 1998 over policies to tackle the Asian finanical crisis.

A power struggle ensued, and Dr Mahathir fired him as deputy prime minister in September that year, accusing him of sodomy, a crime in this predominantly Muslim country.

Anwar was subsequently arrested, tried for alleged corruption and sodomy, and sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison.

A successful appeal in the Federal Court against the sodomy charge set him free last year. He had already served a separate sentence for corruption.

Their animosity was reignited last month when Dr Mahathir, who retired as prime minister in 2003, told reporters, "I can't have a pederast in Cabinet.

"Try to think about that ... a homosexual becoming prime minister? No one will be safe," he said.