The government is damaging its own credibility at home and abroad by using the same tactic once again to charge Anwar Ibrahim with sodomy, said former US vice-president Al Gore today.

al gore He said that it was regrettable that the government has now on two occasions used the same tactic in an effort to politically destroy Anwar.

"In the process, however, it is damaging its own credibility at home and abroad," he said in a statement.

He added that the real tragedy was the government was engaged in "character assassination to silence an effective leader of the political opposition".

Gore, who similarly backed Anwar public during the 1998 charges, said that the government should allow the situation to be quickly resolved.

By doing so, he said, the government can not just restore Anwar's dignity but also its own.

"I hope greater wisdom will prevail," he said.

He was referring to a police notice which was served on Anwar today asking him to appear at the Sessions' Court tomorrow morning to face sodomy charge.

Anwar was jailed a decade ago on sodomy charges that were later overturned, faces new allegations by his 23-year-old former aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

A sad, black day for Malaysia

lim kit siang 030606 DAP leader Lim Kit Siang meanwhile said that like most Malaysians he was not surprised that Anwar was being dragged to court for the second time on a sodomy charge.

"When news go out to the nation and the world tomorrow of Anwar's sodomy charge, it will be a sad and black day for Malaysia," he said.

He said the signal that would be sent out was that laws were used to suppress dissent and legitimate political and democratic challenge.

He also raised a question of if Anwar would be allowed bail tomorrow so that he could campaign for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

The nomination day for the by-election is on Aug 16 with polling day being on Aug 26.

"Or will Anwar be denied bail and has to campaign from behind the bars of Sungai Buloh prison?" asked Lim.

People's court will determine

He also put some pressure on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by stating that the morality and legitimacy of his premiership would come under question if Anwar was denied bail tomorrow.

"[It] will be a very sad end for a prime minister who had started his administration with such high hopes and great mandate from ordinary Malaysians less than five years ago," added Lim.

husam musa 01 PAS vice-president Husam Musa also lambasted the case against Anwar as a political decision undertaken by the government.

He urged the people of Permatang Pauh to ensure that Anwar was returned as the victor on the Aug 26 by-election.

"That victory would send a strong signal that the people still believed in Anwar," he said in a statement.