The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 – The clock is still ticking away for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is caught between two crises.

The former deputy prime minister-turned-Opposition Leader, who is charged with sodomy for the second time in 10 years, may go into the dock as early as Wedneday, leaving the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance floundering without a head.

Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair told The Malaysian Insider today the High Court judge who fixed the trial to start on July 8 had not changed the date even though he has to deal with two other matters connected to the Sodomy II charges first.

Justice Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah had earlier today postponed hearing Anwar’s bid to get more evidence from the prosecution after his lead lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah fell ill.

Anwar claims the prosecution is withholding vital evidence and denying him a fair trial.

The federal lawmaker for Permatang Pauh, who insists he is a victim of a political conspiracy, has also filed to strike out the sodomy charges against him.

Anwar has been trumpeting two hospital reports on his accuser, which he claims have put him in the clear.

The recently released government-run Hospital Kuala Lumpur report apparently shows there are no signs that the then 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was sodomised, noting no injuries to his private parts.

Both applications are now fixed to be heard on the same day his trial is set to start.

It seems unlikely that the court will be able to start the trial right away with those two substantive issues still to be dealt with.

But Anwar’s lawyers are not cutting out the possibility of the trial starting straight away, unless the High Court dismisses the charges against the politician.

“It is unusual for a court to fix three matters for hearing on one day,” Sankara said cautiously.

He added that Anwar will attend Wednesday’s hearing ... just in case.

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