BANGKOK - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said today he would pardon his jailed ex-deputy Anwar Ibrahim if he had the powers of the king in Malaysia.

"I wish I (was) the king of Malaysia," Mahathir said when asked by a reporter whether as a magnanimous sign he would consider releasing Anwar on his retirement at the end of this month.

Mahathir said if he was the constitutional monarch, "I can just grant (him) a pardon on my birthday".

But, he hastened to add: "I am only a prime minister and I have to obey the law."

Anwar earlier this month filed a final appeal in the country's highest court - his last legal avenue - against his sodomy conviction and nine-year jail term.

Pardons board

Once seen as heir to Mahathir, Anwar claims he was sacked and later charged with sodomy and corruption to prevent a political challenge to Mahathir.

His trials were criticised internationally, and the United States and human rights group Amnesty International list him as a political prisoner.

Mahathir said today that under the Malaysian law, convicts could appeal to the courts and if they failed, they still had recourse to a pardons board presided over by the king.

"And the pardons board, of course, will make whatever decision that it feels is right," Mahathir said.

"So, it is not for me to say: Now I am retiring, I would like to release all the prisoners in Malaysia.

"I will be popular with the prisoners but I don't think it will be popular with the people." - AFP