Just freed ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said his failure to set aside his conviction for corrupt practices will not block his struggle for better reforms in Malaysia and has instead spurred him to pursue reformasi ideals and judicial independence.

"The Federal Court decision today does not impede my commitment towards restoring democracy and advancing nation building in Malaysia.

"The decision instead strengthens my resolve to further ensure that independence of the judiciary becomes a reality," said Anwar in a press statement from Munich, Germany.

The court this morning held that there were no special circumstances to warrant it to review its earlier decision to uphold a High Court's finding of guilt on four charges of corrupt practices against Anwar.

Court of Appeal president Abdul Malek Ahmad and Federal Court judges Siti Norma Yaakob and Alauddin Mohd Sheriff unanimously held that no miscarriage of justice had occurred during the trial and appeals.

Technical issues

Anwar who is recuperating from a back surgery in Munich, pointed out that the decision was constrained by technical issues and had not dealt with his substantive argument of a political conspiracy against him.

"The Federal Court's deliberation is limited by technical issues and not on our substantive arguments of political conspiracy," he said.

He also said that the decision showed that the judiciary was not immune to interference by the executive given "... the current political leadership and the local media engineering political discord and disharmony".

Stressing that the corruption charges against him under Emergency Ordinance were trumped up by his political enemies, he said that they involved only his communication with a policeman and did not involve monetary gains.

"It did not involve financial gains or other remunerations unlike the allegations of massive corruption involving government leaders," Anwar said.

International dialogue

He reiterated his commitment to pursue the reform agenda and assist in "... meaningful, effective dialogue in the international arena".

Anwar was sacked as deputy premier in September 1998 and was subsequently convicted of corrupt practices and sodomy.

He completed his six-year jail sentence for the corruption conviction and walked out a free man on Sept 2 when the Federal Court quashed the sodomy conviction.

He then applied for review of the corruption conviction, as a favourable outcome would have allowed him to return to active politics immediately instead of serving out a five-year ban.

Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with AFP from Munich, Anwar said the court's decision "will not impede my political activity.

"I will give political speeches. I have made it clear I will participate in politics."