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Saturday March 10, 8:09 PM Malaysia's Anwar vows return to politics, defy ban Photo: Reuters Click to enlarge KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim declared his return to active politics on Saturday, vowing to defy a ban on his holding party office. Anwar, a former deputy premier-turned-dissident, said he planned to stand as president of opposition party Keadilan this year in defiance of the ban, which applies until April 2008. Asked if he would contest the party polls due in June, Anwar said: "Yes, yes I am. If I get the support of the party." "It's a corrupt system using the courts to deny my rights," he told Reuters after giving a speech on the Middle East conflict in Kuala Lumpur. "I'll fight. I am going to ignore the government." He rushed off in his car after the speech and did not elaborate. Anwar, 59, was jailed in 1999 on what he called trumped-up charges of corruption and sodomy after he fell out with then-premier Mahathir Mohamad and led anti-government protests at the head of a "Reformasi" movement demanding political reforms. He was released from jail in September 2004 after he was acquitted of sodomy. But his corruption conviction, for which he had already served his time, remained and this criminal record bars him from holding party or political office until April 2008. The government is expected to call an early general election by the end of this year. In this case, Anwar would not be able to stand for parliament and would have to wait for the next election, which would not be due for five more years. A party official said Keadilan members were keen for Anwar to take the reins and contest in a possible election. "As a party we propose his name, to be nominated as our president at our next elections in June," party treasurer Khalid Ibrahim said. "Every division has their own general meeting and the divisions said they want Anwar to lead the party. "If there is a general election we want him to be there, and also to participate in the election," said Khalid, adding that he felt elections would be held this year.