KUALA LUMPUR: To his university friends, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan is a good guy with leadership skills and capabilities.

"He was active in the student body, even becoming vice-president of the student council at one point," said a friend identified as Donny.

Mohd Saiful, who accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising him on Saturday, was a student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Universiti Tenaga Nasional before dropping out with poor grades earlier this year.

His friends said he was well liked by fellow students and lecturers, with some of the former looking up to him as a role model.

"He would help everyone, regardless of race or class, a genuine kind of person.
"That was why I was shocked when I read his claims on having been sodomised by Anwar," said another friend, Daniel.

He said Mohd Saiful, who had been active in the university's Islamic Club, did not show any homosexual tendencies.

Another friend dismissed talk that Mohd Saiful was "pro-Umno" or "pro-government" based on the pictures of him posing with cabinet ministers.

"Of course, as a student leader, you're expected to work closely with government officials at times.

"But I've never known him to be a diehard supporter of any political cause."

He added: "Mohd Saiful probably just wanted to show off to his friends that he had met these politicians. That's the only reason why he had pictures taken with them.

"If he had met other politicians like Lim Kit Siang, he would've taken pictures with them too."

He said Mohd Saiful had dropped out of university because he paid too much attention to extra-curricular activities.

"He didn't hold office in the student council for a full term. He had to be taken out as his grades were slipping."

Meanwhile, Mohd Saiful's uncle, who wished to be known as Pat, said the family would be getting a lawyer soon.

"I cannot say anything more," he told the reporters who were waiting in front of Mohd Saiful's Bandar Utama home.

Pat had scheduled a press conference yesterday but changed his mind at the sight of nearly 50 foreign and local reporters camped outside the double-storey terrace house.

Mohd Saiful is said to be under police protection at an unknown location.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat sources said Mohd Saiful started working for Anwar's office during the general election campaign period. He was then an assistant to Rahimi Osman, one of Anwar's aides.

"He was known as Rahimi's 'coffee boy', doing a lot of menial work like photocopying papers and making phone calls."

When Rahimi resigned about a month ago, Ibrahim Yaacob, Anwar's chief of staff, took over and was also assisted by Mohd Saiful.

Ibrahim said Mohd Saiful was never on the party's payroll and worked as a volunteer.