KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- It is difficult to win an appeal but not in the case of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said since facing a sodomy charge in 2008, Anwar had not exhausted his court appeals.

Dr Mahathir said when Anwar was acquitted and discharged by the High Court recently of the charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the victim's plea for an appeal against the verdict was disputed.

"Does the opposition leader has a special privilege that justice is served only when he is found not guilty?

"Does a minnow has no right to seek justice to the extent that his appeal cannot be heard by the court anymore?" asked Mahathir in his blog entitled "Right to Appeal" today.

Several opposition leaders have criticised Mohd Saiful Bukhari's father, Azlan Mohd Lazim for seeking the Attorney-General's Chambers to appeal against the verdict.

Dr Mahathir questioned why Anwar's refusal to take a religious oath (sumpah laknat) at the mosque to deny the sodomy allegation did not have any meaning, particularly to Muslims.

Mohd Saiful Bukhari swore by holding the Quran at the Federal Territory Mosque here on Friday, Aug 18, 2008, claiming that Anwar had sodomized him.

"... and doesn't a sumpah laknat taken by a nobody means anything?" asked Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir said if the recent court verdict was not in his favour, Anwar would have filed an appeal to a higher court.