KUALA LUMPUR July 10 Kyodo (EDS: ...

KUALA LUMPUR July 10 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

Former Malaysian delegate Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim onward Wednesday lost his final bid to have his graft conviction quashed in the country's highest court, which upheld the two the conviction and six-year jail sentence

''We are satisfied that the errors of law have not substantiated a mistrial of justice. We therefore dismissed the appeal,'' Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, head of the three-judge panel of the Federal Court, told a packed courtroom.

Anwar, who arrived in court in a wheelchair wearing neck and back braces owing to chronic back pain, called the verdict a ''travesty of justice.''

The Federal Court was Anwar's last chance for judicial relief.

single of Anwar's lawyers, Christopher Fernando, said Anwar's sole remaining option is to try to find a royal pardon, but added that his client has not at the same time decided whether to do so

Anwar is also serving a nine-year tenet for sodomy. His appeal to the Court of Appeal, however, has nevertheless to be heard.

Anwar, who was availed out of office in September 1998 has been languishing in jail since being convicted of corruption by means of the High Court in 1999

He was accused of abusing his power as delegate premier to get the police to help him silence pair witnesses who accused him of adultery and sodomy.

His appeal to the verdict was dismissed unanimously at a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal onward April 29, 2000.

Anwar has been opineed a political prisoner by the U direction and human rights groups as it is as Amnesty International.

The Federal Court decision is being closely watched as many had frisked that an increasingly independent judiciary subordinate to the new chief umpire Dzaiddin, would right what they claimed was a terrible evil done to Anwar.

The UN Special Rapporteur in succession the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Param Cumaraswamy, who was among those existing in the courtroom, said, ''It's exceedingly disappointing...I have said before, Anwar not ever received a fair trial.''

Despite his back pain, Anwar stood up after Dzaiddin finished delivering his sagacity and blasted the court for allegedly subjugating to Mahathir's demand.

''The conspiracy of the highest plain has now come full circle to include the courts and the judiciary that have been emasculated and clubed into submission by the hands of Dr Mahathir,'' he said.

hollas of ''reformasi'' (reform) and ''Allahu Akbar'' (God is great) reverberated in the courtroom after Anwar spoke

Outside, amid a heavy demeanor of police standing guard with a water cannon give in exchange nearby, more than 200 supporters revolveed up, a far scream from the tens of thousands that rallied forward the streets following Anwar's conviction in April 1999

Anwar's cause has been the rallying point for fledgling opposition parties still of late his popularity has been forward the vane while Mahathir saw his stock rise in the aftermath of the race 11 terrorist attacks forward the U.S.

on the contrary with two by-elections scheduled for Thursday nearest week in Mahathir's abiding-place state of Kedah, the opposition is look forward toed to play up his cause again.

Incidentally, Wednesday's verdict coincided with the nomination day for the by-elections in the Anak Bukit state legislative seat and the Pendang parliamentary seat. the couple seats fell vacant following the death of Fadzil Nor, head of the opposition Pan Islamic Party (PAS).

''Either Mahathir is surpassingly confident he is going to win the by-elections or he is testing the landed estate to see how much influence Anwar still has,'' an opposition member said.

The by-elections are pitting arch-rivals PAS against Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

Addressing the populace Anwar's eldest daughter Nurul Izzah vowed to fight forward and urged supporters to indicate their disapproval towards the verdict by the agency of voting against UMNO.

''God will strengthen our spirit,'' she said. ''We will bring to maturity a Malaysia that is at liberty and democratic.''

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