Three weeks away until the verdict is delivered, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today vowed to fight for justice even if he is found guilty of sodomy.

Speaking to reporters after Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah set the verdict date on Jan 9, Anwar said going to jail will not change his resolve.

“None whatsoever... I am positive to spearhead the clamour for reform.

“It will strengthen the resolve of the opposition for the need to reform... It will not be difficult, even in jail I will fight for justice,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

NONE Stressing that the charge of sodomising his aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan “should not be preferred”, Anwar however had questions on the verdict date.

“I am a little bit anxious to know the real reason as to whether it will fit in the dissolution of parliament after the ninth,” he said.

While his counsel Karpal Singh (right) said the relatively short three weeks set before verdict is “nothing significant”, Anwar felt that the judge may need a “longer time” as there are “thousands of pages of notes alone”.

May sanity prevail

“Very technical issues were raised which required the expertise of (many witnesses)... to go through all the notes will take weeks... probably it should be after the election,” he quipped.

On the impending verdict, Anwar said that suggesting no reasonable doubt was raised was “ludicrous, completely unjust and cruel”.

“But hopefully, sanity will prevail,” he said.

reformasi 1998 270808 04 Echoing him Karpal said: “(Anwar) should be acquitted if the evidence is regarded. We have more than raised reasonable doubt.”

The public gallery was today packed with PKR leaders and supporters, some travelling from Alor Setar to attend the trial.

Anwar was met after the proceedings by about 150 supporters who chanted ‘reformasi’ before sending their leader off.

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