The police will record a statement from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim over the allegation that he had made seditious remarks at a public talk in Kelantan.

The former deputy premier is said to have made these statements in the run-up to the Pengakalan Pair by-election held in the state last November.

His lawyer Sankara Nair said Pasir Mas district police officer Zahari Ismail will record the statement at Anwar's residence in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur later tonight.

The case is being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 which carries a maximum penalty of three years jail, RM5,000 fine or both.

"He (Anwar) will be arriving at the airport sometime this evening and the recording of the statement is scheduled at 8.30pm," he said when contacted.

Speaking about the case, Sankara said the police were tightlipped on the details of the report lodged against his client.

"We repeatedly asked for a copy of the report to no avail. Apart from the report number, we don't know who or when it was lodged or what my client had supposedly said which was deemed seditious," he added.

Puzzling scenario

He said the police claimed they were not authorised to furnish his client with a copy of the report and the request should be referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

When asked, Sankara (right), a former special branch police officer, said this was not the normal practice.

"I find the entire scenario puzzling considering that the case has not reached the prosecution stage. This only the investigation stage and we have no reason to go to the A-G at this point," he added.

Contacted later, A-G Abdul Gani Patail declined to comment on this matter.

Anwar - who is currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University in Washington - returned to Malaysia today for a three-day break.

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali said the party adviser's schedule was packed with private and official functions, including a talk with senior media representatives tomorrow.

Themed 'An evening with the press', the event is being organised by the Strategic Information Research and Development Centre.

Also slated for tomorrow is a discussion on education with Universiti Putra Malaysia's Prof Awang Sariyan (UPM), Chinese educationist Dr Yap Sin Tian and K Arumugam from the Malaysia Tamil Education Research and Development Foundation.

On Saturday, Anwar is scheduled to give a talk on economic reformation in Kuang. He will then leave for Hong Kong for an economic conference organised by Credit Suisse.