KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (AFP) - 16:31 - The former chauffeur who says he was sodomised by Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim had twice retracted the allegations in the past, the sex trial of the ousted deputy premier was told Monday.

Anwar, sacked by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in September 1998, faces up to 20 years' jail if convicted of sodomising driver Azizan Abu Bakar.Azizan and Ummi Hafilda Mohamad Ali, the sister of the politician's former political secretary, set the whole saga in motion when they wrote to Mahathir in August 1997 alleging sexual misconduct by the powerful deputy premier.

But defence witness Abdullah Sani, Anwar's official driver when he was in office, told the court that Azizan visited him in June 1998 and denied he was sodomised by the politician.

"We spoke on the sodomy allegations and he denied he was sodomised by Anwar," Abdullah said.

"He told me he wanted to see Anwar but did not say why."Azizan was the driver for Anwar's wife at the time.

Another witness, ex-army commando Ma'amin Latiff, said he accompanied Azizan on several visits to a lawyer and to police headquarters in July 1998.

Ma'amin said that during one of the trips, Azizan had complained to him that a book entitled "50 reasons why Anwar cannot become PM" had slandered him (Azizan) with allegations that Anwar had sodomised him.

Ma'amin denied a prosecution contention that he had received money from another commando named Rahim Dahalan to tail Azizan.

Last April Anwar was jailed for six years for corruption -- abusing his official powers to cover up the allegations made by Azizan and Ummi. He says he was framed on all charges as part of a political conspiracy.

The sodomy trial began last June and Judge Arifin Jaka said he was worried about its glacial pace.

It resumed only last Wednesday after being postponed for more than a month during Anwar's appeal against his corruption conviction and sentence.

"This (trial) will drag on to another century," Arifin complained after lawyers said an application -- to set aside subpoenas issued by the defence against two politicians -- may not be heard Tuesday as scheduled.

Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin and Deputy Education Minister Aziz Shamsuddin filed affidavits last week to set aside the subpoenas. Anwar has said they were among the leading conspirators against him.

Counsel Ng Aik Guan, representing the pair, said he had yet to receive the counter-affidavit from the defence to enable him to make submissions Tuesday.

The defence is also trying to call Mahathir himself but prosecutors object.Anwar's counsel Karpal Singh was unable to attend court Monday. He had been due to give reasons why Mahathir should take the stand.

Judge Arifin says the defence must prove Mahathir was involved in allegedly framing charges against Anwar before he will make him testify.

Arifin said he would hear submissions from Karpal and the prosecution Tuesday before deciding whether Mahathir should be called. He set no date for the decision.

The defence is expected Tuesday to question a former minister, named by Anwar as also among those involved in the conspiracy.

Megat Junid Megat Ayob was consumer affairs minister until last November."We will most likely call Megat tomorrow," a source close to the defence team said.