Polls show support for Malaysian opposition leader

Opinion polls show most people believe Malaysian Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim did not commit sodomy against a young aide after a similar charge landed him in jail for six years before it was overturned.

A small survey by the independent Merdeka Centre research firm found just 6 per cent of respondents believed the allegations, and nearly 60 per cent viewed them as politically motivated.

A separate survey by independent news website Malaysiakini showed that 94.4 per cent believed the allegations were part of a political conspiracy against Anwar.