Arrest warrants issued for Malaysian opposition figure Anwar

Updated July 16, 2008 14:22:27

Anwar Ibrahim's lawyer says his client is willing to turn up at police headquarters on Wednesday. [Reuters]

A lawyer for Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim says a warrant issued for the arrest of his client is "confusing".

A message about an arrest warrant being issued was delivered to the the office of Dr Anwar's lawyer, Sankaran Nair on Tuesday.

Mr Nair has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program that Dr Anwar is willing to turn up at police headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.

But he says it's unclear whether an arrest warrant has been issued for a 'non-appearance', or for charges levelled against the opposition leader.

"They don't want to tell us what the warrant is for," he said. "Sometimes in a case of seizable offences you can be arrested without a warrant...they do get a warrant just to play safe.

"And Anwar's never said he won't go, it's just they've changed the rules in between and that is confusing."

Dr Anwar faces accusations of sodomy by a former aide - the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.

Mr Nair says he does not believe his client wants protests to disrupt his visit to police, with Keadilan warning that its supporters may take to the streets if Dr Anwar is arrested.

Mr Nair told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program that protests should not be a concern.

"Because there is due process of law that has to be followed, I don't see why Anwar would want to organise or call for something like that," he said.

"I don't think it will happen."