Anwar slams 'dirty tricks' in Malaysia poll

ABS NEWS
Posted Sat Mar 1, 2008 3:00pm AEDT

Former deputy prime minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim has told ABC's Radio National that the country's upcoming elections will be marred by voting irregularities.

The Malaysian Government called general elections 14 months ahead of schedule and Dr Anwar says the early poll is a dirty trick designed to keep him out of the running.

The opposition leader is banned from politics until April due to a corruption conviction.

Dr Anwar says the vote will be flawed and media coverage of the election has been totally unbalanced.

"Do you know that not one report about me in the media, in the government-controlled media or an entire mainstream media in this country," he said.

"There's a complete ban, a blackout, and yet you call it free and fair elections."