WASHINGTON (AP) – The sodomy conviction of Malaysia’s opposition leader has set back, but not unraveled, Washington’s improved ties with a country that is becoming increasingly important for U.S. diplomacy and trade policy in Asia.
The White House strongly criticized the conviction of Anwar Ibrahim, whose case was widely seen as politically motivated. That could dash Prime Minister Najib Razak’s hopes this year of being the first Malaysian leader to be invited to the White House since 2004.
The Obama administration has been considering inviting Najib as Malaysia takes the lead of the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc that has become pivotal for Washington’s engagement with the region.
Anwar began a five-year prison term Tuesday. He posed the most serious threat to Najib’s ruling coalition, whose popularity has eroded after more than five decades of dominance.
An earlier sodomy conviction against Anwar was overturned in 2004 after he’d served six years in prison. That case also drew U.S. criticism and contributed to a rocky period in U.S.-Malaysian relations in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.