Malaysia's Election Commission set a date yesterday for a parliamentary by-election which opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is contesting. Also yesterday, the police summoned him to court to face charges in a highly questionable sodomy case.

It's hard to believe that the convergence of these events is a coincidence. Mr. Anwar's three-party coalition claims it has enough support to topple the current government, should Mr. Anwar win the Aug. 26 by-election. Fully 66% of 1,030 Malaysians surveyed nationwide last month by an independent polling company agreed that the sodomy charge was "a politically motivated action to disrupt Anwar Ibrahim's political career." In a smaller poll conducted this weekend by the same company, 72% of Malays -- which traditionally support the ruling United Malays National Organization -- said they didn't believe the allegations were true.

The police haven't done much so far to prove otherwise. But Malaysians certainly also recognize in the current case echoes of the political games that have tormented Mr. Anwar and embarrassed their country before. Back in 1998, the government of then-President Mahathir Mohamed threw Mr. Anwar in jail on sodomy charges, just as Mr. Anwar was challenging the head of state's leadership. Although Mr. Anwar was subsequently convicted of sodomy and corruption, a high court overturned the sex charge in 2004, less than a year after Mr. Mahathir retired from office.

Arguably, cynicism about the 1998 allegations contributed to public dissatisfaction with much of Malaysia's political leadership. It is remarkable if authorities are resorting to similar tactics now. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who succeeded Dr. Mahathir, was supposed to usher in a more transparent form of democracy when he took office in 2003. By allowing this case to proceed to the prosecution phase, Mr. Abdullah will be seen as planting himself firmly in the antireform camp.

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