Anwar Ibrahim says he has numbers to become Malaysian PM, decries sex tape ‘gutter politics’

The PKR leader brushed aside talk of a challenge from minister Azmin Ali for the premiership

Anwar denied reports that he had called for Azmin to resign if the gay sex videos were proved to be authentic

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Published: 4:09pm, 18 Jul 2019Updated: 4:12pm, 18 Jul 2019

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, jailed twice for what he says were trumped-up sodomy charges, said on Thursday he has the support needed to become prime minister and denied calling for a potential challenger to resign over an unfolding gay sex video scandal.

Indications of divisions in Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR) surfaced after a series of videos circulated among politicians and journalists in June, allegedly showing Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali and another man having sex.

Gay sex is illegal in Malaysia, and carries penalties of jail and whipping if convicted.

Azmin, the deputy head of PKR and seen as close to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, said he was not in the videos which he called a “nefarious plot” to end his career.

Anwar denied news reports that he had called for Azmin to resign if the videos were proved to be authentic. Anwar said his comments were taken out of context.

“On the issue of the sex video, from the beginning we expressed disgust at the manner the gutter politics has been played,” Anwar told reporters in parliament on Thursday.

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