Mr Abdullah and his deputy, Najib Razak, have strongly denied involvement, promising that the investigation into the complaint will be fair.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat, of Monash University's Malaysia campus, said: 'We cannot run away from it ... the manner, the current political scenario and the timing, all lends credence to the suspicions [of a set-up]. It is hard for people to believe that political motives are not behind this new crisis.'

For Anwar supporters such as homemaker Roslinah Muhamad, 36, the issue is simple.

'They are coming for him, we had expected it ever since the March election,' Ms Roslinah said. 'This is Round 2. Round 1 was in 1998 when Anwar was arrested, assaulted and falsely jailed for sodomy.

'The nightmare has returned, Anwar is under siege again,' she said in the lobby of the Quality Hotel, about 30km east of Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday night.

Hugging her two sleeping sons, she and more than 1,000 angry supporters had rushed to the hotel to defend Mr Anwar, who was huddled inside with his advisers trying to decide how best to survive the latest crisis to hit his spectacular political comeback from near-oblivion.

Many Malaysians reacted with disbelief to news that Mr Anwar's close aide alleged to police on Saturday that the former deputy prime minister sodomised him at a luxury condominium on Thursday.

'People are saying, 'This is another frame-up, what else can it be?'' Dr Wong said.

Mr Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 after leading a reform movement against the prime minister at the time, Mahathir Mohamad. He was then jailed for sodomy and corruption. The Supreme Court overturned the sodomy conviction in 2004, but the abuse-of-power conviction barred Mr Anwar from political office for five years.

Another reason for suspicion of a frame-up is that photographs have surfaced showing the aide with government leaders, including with an aide of Mr Najib.

And the police report, legally a confidential document, has surfaced on the internet - lending credence to the theory there is a hidden hand behind the accusations.

Mr Anwar filed a defamation lawsuit yesterday against the 23-year-old aide who made the sodomy accusations. He emerged from the Turkish embassy after seeking refuge there for a day on what he said were humanitarian grounds.

'This is probably our final battle, this is a do-or-die battle for democracy and for a new Malaysia,' said Wan Azizah Ismail, Mr Anwar's wife and president of his Peoples Justice Party. 'Everything we have fought for since 1998 is at stake here.'

Mr Anwar, whose opposition coalition won 82 seats in Parliament in elections in March and needs 30 more lawmakers to defect to topple the government, had received enough 'pledges' to make a final move next month. Just last week, Mr Anwar told the Post: 'I will be prime minister come September.'

Tian Chua, party official and senior strategist to Mr Anwar, said: 'He was readying to take the plunge and was to contest a by-election in mid-July to enter Parliament himself and lead the new government.

'We strongly believe this new sodomy accusation is to stop Anwar from launching the final act of the power takeover. They decided to stop him to protect themselves from political oblivion. We are prepared for the worst,' he said, adding that there would be widespread public protest if the situation was mishandled.

A former editor of a Chinese newspaper in Malaysia said: 'Mr Abdullah might not be personally involved, but the warlords in Umno [Mr Abdullah's party] who are threatened by Anwar's resurgence are already rejoicing. Their method is crude, but is effective in deflecting Anwar. Anwar is now left defending himself, his push for power is over.'

Mr Anwar's aides said actions could include launching widespread street protests or even seeking political asylum.

'Anwar is safe for the moment; the world is watching and Abdullah is in a spot,' said a diplomat with a European mission. 'There is huge interest in how this standoff is played out.

'One thing is certain, nobody wants a repeat of 1998.'

Decade of drama

Sep 2, 1998 Anwar fired from cabinet, amid police reports he is under investigation over sex and corruption allegations

Sep 20, 1998 Anwar leads tens of thousands in protest march in Kuala Lumpur demanding Mahathir's

resignation. He is arrested hours later

Sep 29, 1998 A bruised Anwar (right) pleads innocent to charges of sodomy and corruption

April 14, 1999 Anwar sentenced to six years for corruption

June 6, 1999 Sodomy trial opens

July 28, 1999 Driver Azizan Abu Bakar tells court he was sodomised up to 15 times by Anwar

July 18, 2000 Anwar's hearing ends after more than a year

Aug 8, 2000 Anwar found guilty and sentenced to nine years prison for sodomy, to be served consecutive to six-year term for corruption

April 29, 2001 Corruption conviction upheld

April 2, 2002 Final appeal against corruption conviction concludes in Federal Court

June 25, 2002 Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (below left) officially named

Sep 2, 2004 Sodomy conviction overturned and Anwar released from jail

Sep 15, 2004 Corruption conviction upheld, keeping Anwar banned from political activities for five years after end of sentence

Nov 2006 Anwar announces plan to run for Parliament in 2008, after disqualification expires

April 14, 2008 Anwar celebrates official return to political stage

June 29, 2008 Reports say aide of Anwar has lodged police report claiming he was sodomised by Anwar

June 30, 2008 Anwar takes refuge in Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur amid reports his life may be in danger

Source: CNN