Malaysian Gay Case Dismissed

Malaysia's appeals court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit from former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar sued former premier Mahathir Mohamad for nearly $30 million for calling him gay, according to Agence France-Presse.

Anwar served as deputy premier to Mahathir until he was jailed on sodomy and corruption charges in 1998. The sodomy conviction was overturned and he was released after serving six years in jail.

Anwar submitted a defamation case in 2006 after Mahathir said he could not have allowed his former deputy to become prime minister because he was gay.

Anwar claims he is not gay and that the comment is damaging to his political career.

The case was tossed out Tuesday on technical grounds after Mahathir's lawyers complained the application was filed in English and not the Bahasa Malaysia language.

Anwar currently faces another legal battle, with new sodomy allegations issued by a 24-year-old former aide. Anwar, who says the latest charges against him are another conspiracy, could receive 20 years in jail if convicted.