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Malaysia's Anwar says he will be vi



Subject: Malaysia's Anwar says he will be vindicated-report

Malaysia's Anwar says he will be vindicated-report
12:43 p.m. Nov 08, 1998 Eastern

NEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Sacked Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim said in an interview released on Sunday that ultimately he would be
vindicated on charges that range from corruption to sexual misconduct.

Time Magazine quoted Anwar as saying in a written interview smuggled out of
prison that the charges, including that he is a homosexual, amounted to a
``vile character assassination'' calculated to prevent him from becoming
primeminister.

``I've produced evidence to prove a high-level conspiracy against me. The
allegations include all forms of sexual misconduct, corruption, treason,
complicity in a murder and other heinous crimes. Ultimately I will be
vindicated,'' he said.

Anwar, who is being held in solitary confinement, said he was ``severely
beaten on the head, neck and face, rendering me somewhat unconscious'' after
his arrest on Sept. 20. Later he was told that Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad was ``monitoring developments by the minute.''

Anwar's criminal trial enters its second week on Monday. He was sacked from
government on Sept. 2, is charged with five counts of corruption and five of
sodomy. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, saying he was the
victim of a high-level government conspiracy.

 Anwar said in written answers to Time he believed the prime minister was
``drunk with power'' and that he had lost all sense of rationality and
sanity.

``It's a tragedy that he is unable to see that absolute power corrupts
absolutely! In his desperate attempt to cling to power, he has no qualms
about using all instruments of government to serve his ends,'' wrote Anwar.

Anwar's trial will recess from Nov. 15 to 18, when the world's media will
descend on Kuala Lumpur for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
summit in the Malaysian capital.

Anwar predicted that Mahathir, who was aware of mounting public discontent
against his rule, could declare an emergency after the APEC meeting.

If he could talk to Mahathir now, Anwar said he would say: ``Enough is
enough. Resign!''

He said the prime minister would be remembered as a leader who spurred
economic development and brought prosperity to the country, only to
eventually destroy it because of megalomania.

``He has condoned abuse of power, corruption, cronyism and nepotism,'' he
said. Asked whether he would be prepared to talk about alleged deals between
Malaysian officials and foreign governments, such as Burma, Anwar said he
would be charged with treason if he responded to this question. ``But on
officials' business deals, I've been releasing information in batches,'' he
said.

During interrogations, Anwar said he had challenged his questioners to write
down his statement. ``I proceeded to mention about the billions amassed by
(Malaysian officials).

They realised they had stirred the hornets nest and changed the proceedings
into friendly conversations on inconsequential matters.''

Anwar told Time he was holding up well in prison, praying, devouring books
and avoiding the ``indolence of prison life.''