Anwar Ibrahim, the accused in the Sodomy II trial which has held the nation's interest for nearly three years, today said he has no problems with speeding up the proceedings.

“I have no problems with expediting it at all,” Anwar told a press conference in the Parliament lobby today.

He was responding to Azlan Mohd Lazim, 57, the father of complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who had appealed to the Agong yesterday to help speed up the court case.

Saiful's father, who a NONE rrived at Istana Negara with three friends to hand over his letter to the King about 3pm, noted that the trial in the Kuala Lumpur High Court had been postponed several times over the last three years.

“I hope that the process of justice can be sped up,” said Azlan ( left in photo ), who added that he experienced “pressure and difficulty” because of the prolonged trial.

Anwar said that it is high time the Agong takes the opportunity to look at the poor state of the judicial process.

However, he argued that the delays in the hearing were due to the withholding of documents by the prosecution.

“Why is it that, in this case involving Anwar Ibrahim, such despicable things takes place?” he said rhetorically.

To speed up the trial and ensure fairness, he said, the courts must assign a judge who is fair, just and brave, and a prosecutor who acts professionally and discloses evidence and documents.

“Conduct the trial like a regular trial,” he said.

Anwar, 63, has been charged with sodomising Saiful, his former personal assistant, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

The trial has hogged the headlines with sordid details of the alleged affair.

It has been delayed several times because of various technicalities and appeals.