Mohd Saiful withdraws suit against Anwar Ibrahim

Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the former aide of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has withdrawn a RM50 million suit against the former Opposition leader, who is serving time for sodomising him, because he could not afford the legal fee.

Currently an insurance agent, Mohd Saiful said despite having a strong case, the legal process could be lengthy sometimes as it could go on to the appeal level at the federal Court.

"I do not have the means to pay the legal fee to wait for the long process. I have had to mortgage property, as well as spent so much time, going up and down the court.

"Seven years is enough for me to go through the legal process, going up and down the court, to prove truth in the police report I made in 2008," he said in a press statement obtained from his lawyer, Zamri Idrus.

He said his police report on the sodomy incident was proven true when all five Federal Court judges upheld the Court of Appeal's decision on Anwar's conviction for sodomising him.

Mohd Saiful said he no longer wanted to pursue with the suit against Anwar also for fear of certain quarters exploiting the hearing of the case.

"I wish to affirm here that with this decision (to withdraw the suit), it does not mean that I am withdrawing the content of the police report I made against Anwar," he added.

Mohd Saiful, 30, who is married with a child, filed the suit on June 23 last year, citing trauma and agony since 2008 as a result of being sodomised by Anwar.

In his statement of claim, Mohd Saiful stated that Anwar had accused him of defaming and conspiring against him (Anwar).

Mohd Saiful's intention to withdraw the suit was conveyed by his lawyer to High Court Judicial Commissioner Azizul Azmi Adnan, who recorded the matter, during case management today.