Foreign Minister Anifah Aman pledged today after talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will get a fair trial on sodomy charges.

NONE "It is in my interest and our interests to make sure Anwar gets a fair trial," Anifah ( right ) said during a joint press conference, referring to the charges that could see Anwar jailed for up to 20 years.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts a decade ago, says he is again the victim of a political conspiracy and fears he will not receive justice on the latest allegations.

His opposition alliance made substantial gains in 2008 elections, seizing a third of parliamentary seats in an unprecedented performance against the BN coalition which has ruled for half a century.

Anwar, who is accused of illicit relations with a young male aide, has said the allegations have been been concocted to end his career and neutralise the threat he poses to the government.

Human Rights Watch has urged Malaysia to drop the charges, condemning the case as a "charade of justice," and the United States has previously warned it is watching the saga closely.

Sodomy, even among consenting adults, is illegal in Malaysia, a conservative Muslim-majority country.

Anwar's trial opened in February but has been punctuated by lengthy delays and has made little progress.

- AFP

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