From The Singapore Straits Times 13th August 2000

SANTA FE (New Mexico) -- US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Saturday rejected Malaysian claims of foreign "meddling" in the case of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim and said the country deserved better than its current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"Everybody has been very concerned about the fact that it certainly was not a fair process," Mrs Albright said of Anwar's trial and conviction on sodomy charges, for which he received a nine-year prison sentence.

In an interview with AFP after the annual meeting of the US, Canadian and Mexican foreign ministers, Mrs Albright said Malaysian complaints about comments such as hers, as well as those from Australian, Canadian and European officials, were misplaced.

"I think that in this day and age it is accepted procedure for countries to comment on injustice and I think Anwar...has not had the ability to have a free and fair trial.

"And, I think it's perfectly appropriate to comment on that," she said in response to a question about the Malaysian complaints.

Earlier on Saturday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said foreign criticism of the trial amounted to unacceptable interference.

"Allegations that Malaysia's judiciary is biased and under the control of the executive cannot be accepted. It is utter nonsense," he said, adding that Kuala Lumpur had sent "strong" protests to the offending countries.

Mrs Albright, who has a close relationship with Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and wrote her a letter of support after her husband's conviction on Tuesday, was stern in her criticism of Dr Mahathir.

"There are lots of things that Dr Mahathir has done that I don't think serve Malaysia well and are not within the spirit of how the Asian countries are evolving," she said.

"There are certain countries where people deserve better, Malaysia is one of them." -- AFP