Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was non-committal today about a call for a meeting by freed politician Anwar Ibrahim, but did not rule out the possibility of talks with the former prisoner.

Anwar, who returned to Malaysia on Sunday after spinal surgery in Germany, said he would seek a meeting with Abdullah to thank him for his release last month after six years in prison.

The former deputy premier said he would also urge further reform of the judiciary and an easing of pressure on opposition parties.

"He (Anwar) has made no contact yet. He has not made a request yet. So I will just wait for that," Abdullah told a news conference.

Anwar served a sentence for allegedly corruptly using his position to cover up charges of sexual misconduct before the country's highest court overturned a separate conviction for sodomy on Sept 2 and set him free.

He says the charges were fabricated to destroy his political future after he was sacked by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998. Mahathir retired a year ago.

Soon after his release, Anwar travelled to Germany for surgery on his spine, which he says was injured during a police beating when he was arrested.

New chapter

On his return, he pledged to fight on for reform, charging that Abdullah fell short of expectations during his first year in power.

Anwar told around 1,000 supporters who gathered at his home in Kuala Lumpur that his release from prison was just the start of a new chapter in the struggle to reform a government which he says is corrupt.

Anwar, whose conviction for corruption bars him from standing for public office until 2008, said he would seek a meeting with Abdullah but had no intention of rejoining the ruling Umno.

He said he would stay in the opposition camp and in the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, headed by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.