KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (AFP) - A visiting European parliamentary delegation Friday questioned the fairness of the trial of Malaysia's ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim and said it was closely watching the case.

The five-member delegation said it discussed political developments and Anwar's case with opposition parties, including the National Justice Party founded by Anwar's wife.

The European MPs said in a statement they "reconfirmed the position of the European Union, which has expressed disquiet about the fairness of the trial and is keeping the case under close scrutiny."

However they praised Malaysia's establishment of a human rights commission and backed its plan to review laws and recommend possible reform.

The statement, quoted by the official Bernama news agency, "noted with satisfaction" that Southeast Asian countries in general were paying increased attention to protecting human rights.

The MPs also met members of parliament and of the Senate and discussed the possibility of relaunching the dialogue between the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It was recognised that the military regime in Myanmar -- an ASEAN member -- still posed problems to the dialogue, the statement said.

Anwar was sacked as deputy premier in September 1998 and detained. He was jailed for six years in April 1999 for abusing his powers and is now on trial for sodomy.

He says he is the victim of a political conspiracy but the government denies any plot.

The US State Department has also questioned the fairness of Anwar's first trial.

The delegation is led by Portuguese MP Carlos Costas-Neves. Two other members are from Britain, one from Denmark and one from Austria.