Malaysian police release Anwar Ibrahim

Updated July 17, 2008 18:20:39

Anwar Ibrahim spent a night in detention after he was arrested in connection with sodomy allegations. [Reuters]

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been freed on bail after spending a night in custody.

Police arrested Dr Anwar on Wednesday in connection with sodomy accusations.

He left police headquarters accompanied by his wife and daughters.

The People's Justice Party Information chief, Tian Chua, has told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program the arrest has set the stage for a political showdown between the government and supporters of Dr Anwar, who have dismissed the sodomy allegations as a conspiracy to prevent him and the opposition from seizing power.

"We have seen that police have been mobilised on the streets and we have even a joint exercise between the military and the police, and this is unprecedented," he said.

"And a few of us have been called by police for recording statements on our previous demonstrations activities. So all these are signs towards a closing up of the democratic space."

Dr Anwar has said he is poised to seize power from Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with the help of government defectors, after his opposition alliance claimed one third of parliamentary seats and five states in March elections.

In 1998, Dr Anwar was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sodomy and corruption allegations, which he also maintains were politically motivated.

He was freed from prison in September, 2004, after six years in custody, when the country's top court quashed his conviction and nine-year jail sentence for sodomy.

The same court later refused to hear a new appeal against his conviction and six-year sentence for corruption.

He was barred from holding political office until this year.