Mr. Anwar faced similar charges again in 2008, when one of his former aides leveled sodomy accusations against him allegations that emerged publicly after the accuser had visited Mr. Najib.

WSJ: Personal Feud Powers Malaysian Tensions

In 1998, just back from a few years of teaching in South Africa where he had seen apartheid fall, and the old anti-sodomy laws with it, and had decided at last to admit his homosexuality he held a televised press conference to start the push for gay rights in his own country.

ECONOMIST: David Kato | The