Malaysia’s Anwar faces more woes as sexual harassment case against him proceeds

A court has dismissed Anwar’s immunity application by citing his role as prime minister, saying there is no such constitutional provision

A crisis of credibility hangs over Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he prepares to face a sexual harassment suit later this month, the latest in a series of controversies that has rocked his administration and cast doubts over his reformist agenda.

Anwar faces allegations that he has sexually assaulted a former aide, as the case threatens to dredge up past sex scandals that hounded him for years while he was in opposition.

A high court in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday threw out Anwar’s attempt to invoke legal immunity as prime minister against the suit filed by Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, ruling there were no constitutional provisions for such privileges. The trial for the case is scheduled to begin on June 16.

In accepting the ruling, Anwar said on Wednesday his application was “never about seeking personal immunity or escaping legal scrutiny”.

“It concerns the integrity of our constitutional system and the need to ensure that high public office is protected from litigation that may be strategically timed, politically motivated or institutionally disruptive,” he said in a statement.

Anwar’s reputation has taken a beating in recent weeks.

His cabinet was plunged into chaos by the sudden resignation of two key members following their loss in the election of the ruling People’s Justice Party (PKR) last month, which was marred by accusations of nepotism as Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, won the party’s deputy presidency.

Nurul Izzah’s ascendancy to the No 2 post has driven a deep rift in PKR, raising doubts among Anwar’s supporter base of his commitment to stamp out corruption and cronyism – the basis of his Reformasi or reform agenda when he launched his party more than 20 years ago.

Yusoff has alleged that the sexual assault happened in Anwar’s home in October 2018. Anwar has denied the claim and filed a countersuit.

Twice convicted for sodomy, which led to his imprisonment for more than a decade, Anwar was released in 2018 following a royal pardon.

Anwar and his supporters have long maintained his innocence and that the charges were aimed at ending his political career.

Since his comeback, Anwar has been trying to appeal to more Malays towards his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, which has had to lean on former rivals Umno for support from the majority voter base.

This will be highly damaging, politically, for Anwar among the Malay-Muslim communityJames Chin, University of Tasmania academic

“This [latest case] will be highly damaging, politically, for Anwar among the Malay-Muslim community,” said James Chin, a Malaysia expert with the University of Tasmania.

Wednesday’s court ruling gave fresh impetus for Anwar’s greatest antagonist, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, to re-enter the political spotlight.

Mahathir has accused Anwar of seeking special treatment with his failed bid for immunity.

“No single person has the immunity to face the legal process when accused of a crime,” Mahathir said in a statement on Wednesday.

During his first term as prime minister, Mahathir inadvertently propelled Anwar towards his reform path after sacking him as his deputy in 1998.

Anwar’s position as prime minister may provide him some cover from the latest case, with public attention dominated by concerns over living costs and economic stability, according to analysts.

Reminding Malaysians of Anwar’s past sex scandals would only fuel the public’s “fatigue” over old political tactics, said Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a political analyst from Universiti Malaya.

“Anwar’s resilience over decades of adversity is now embedded in his political brand,” he added.