By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the star witness and complainant in the on-going sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, claimed today that he has received a death threat.

According to Saiful, a person by the name of “Anaz Zahari” had threatened him by posting a statement on the facebook fan page of Anwar.

The posting states that “ANAZ ZAHARI: To my friends..whosoever knows or meets with Saiful Bukhari Azlan anywhere, it is compulsary for you to kill him using whatever means necessary for the peace of the human race..”

Saiful had received information about the posting via email from an anonymous source and subsequently lodged a police report today at the Sentul police station.

“I had received an email from an unknown individual last night informing me of a statement which had been posted on the Facebook fanpage of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim..” said Saiful to reporters shortly after lodging the police report.

He then proceeded to show reporters a photocopy of the Facebook fan page with the alleged statement.

However, according to Saiful, the statement has since been removed from the Facebook page.

“I would like to state that this is a death threat towards me and that this is a serious threat. I fear for my safety and my family’s safety.

He also urged people not to be too engrossed with the details of the trial and to exercise patience, and not to take matters into their own hands.

“There have also been disturbances at my house for the past two days. Every time I leave my house, there are rotten fruits on my front porch,” claimed Saiful who alluded that the fruits could be a form of black magic.

Apparently this is not the first time Saiful or his family have been threatened. On Feb 1, his father Azlan Mohd Lazim had lodged a police report over “provocative” emails which he had received.

“I had received 50 smses for the past three days which were very provocative in nature,” said Azlan who was also present at the police station today with Saiful and his lawyer Zamris Idrus.

When asked by reporters whether this matter would be brought to the court’s attention, Zamri responded by stating “wait and see.”

Anwar has been accused of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the Desa Damansara Condominium on June 26, 2008. The opposition leader has denied the charge, the second he has faced in 12 years.

The former deputy prime minister has denied the accusations hurled by Saiful, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.

Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.

He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

Courtesy: TheMalaysianInsider