Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's father today pleaded with the attorney-general to appeal the acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim on the sodomy charge.

NONE At a press conference at his house in Bandar Utama, Azlan Mohd Lazim said the attorney- general should file the appeal and "ignore the Bar Council", which has advised otherwise.

"Is (the Bar Council's) stand shared by all lawyers in Malaysia or only by individuals who hold positions in the council, who have political interests?" Azlan asked.

"I am pleading with the attorney-general to do so for the sake of my son's and family's dignity," he told reporters.

Expressing disappointment with the Bar Council, Azlan, 58, said as a citizen, his son deserved to have his case heard up to the highest level.

Dad vows to fight on

He added that this was the first time a complainant in a matter was seeking an appeal, as compared with Anwar's side, which had filed 36 appeals in the course of the two-year trial, without a single word of opposition from the Bar Council.

 "Why the double standard? Is it because we are nobodies, not VIPs or politicians, that our rights can be denied just like that?" Azlan asked.

He said his "vow as a father was to seek justice" for his son and he intended to keep that promise.

Anwar was acquitted of sodomising Saiful, his former aide, on Jan 9.  The prosecution has 14 days to appeal.

According to Azlan, the attorney-general has not contacted the family.

Saiful working in KL

NONE Asked if a civil suit would be filed if the prosecution does not appeal, the pensioner said: "We will have to decide that later.

"We take it step by step, there is no rush. We have waited for years."

Refusing to comment on the judge's findings, Azlan said Saiful and the family received the verdict "with calm".

"The people, and my friends, have been very sympathetic (but) that is the court's decision," he said.

The family has received no threats or abuse since the verdict and Saiful is well.

"He is working somewhere in Kuala Lumpur. Life has to go on," Azlan added.

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