Malaysian police mull legal move on Anwar DNA test

By Jalil Hamid

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Police investigating a sodomy allegation against Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim warned on Thursday they could compel him to give a DNA sample, threatening to further stoke tensions in the highly charged case.

Police said they were considering legal avenues after Anwar, who says the complaint is part of "a personal vendetta" against him, refused to provide DNA to a government hospital.

"We are looking into it ... the legal aspects," deputy police chief Ismail Omar told reporters. "We have to look at the laws. We have to look at the other avenues on how to go about it."

He did not elaborate.

Mirroring events from a decade ago, when his rise was halted by a jail term for sodomy and corruption, Anwar is fighting allegations he sodomized a former aide as he leads an effort by a newly revitalized opposition to topple the government.

The former deputy premier has said the allegation is a high-level conspiracy to prevent him from entering parliament, adding that he refused to give his DNA as he did not believe in the system.

"It should not be used as a personal vendetta against me," a combative but tired-looking Anwar told reporters a few hours after he was freed on police bail.

"I was questioned for 5-½ hours, I was stripped naked including the examination of my private parts. Why treat me like a major criminal and a public enemy?"

Anwar said the police chief harbored a grudge against him after he lodged a report with anti-corruption agency officials saying the police chief had fabricated evidence against him in an assault case 10 years ago.

Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is regarded as a "heinous crime" and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in mainly Muslim Malaysia.

The Anwar saga, part of a drawn-out political drama, has dealt a blow to investor sentiment, provoking fears of political instability and stirring worries of a sudden change of government and policy.

The stock market erased early gains to slip 0.5 percent by early afternoon, while the ringgit currency weakened slightly against the dollar.

"Politics in Malaysia is getting pretty dirty, and that obviously will have a negative impact on foreign investment," said the research head of a local brokerage, who declined to be named.

Unlike his sacking and arrest in 1998 which drew tens of thousands onto the streets, there was scant show of public support for Anwar this time round.

About 100 supporters gathered at his house after he was freed on Thursday while around 400 supporters were outside the police headquarters after his arrest the previous day.