By Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 – The High Court said today it will hear Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to strike out the sodomy charge against him on Nov 23.
It also set the same date to fix the start of his trial.
Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah was earlier told by Anwar’s lawyers that they were waiting for the Court of Appeal’s decision in a related suit to get key evidence for his defence before the trial starts.
They informed the judge that the decision would be delivered on Friday.
A separate suit in the High Court’s Appellate and Special Powers division to cancel a compulsory certificate issued by the Attorney General (AG) – needed before any trial can start – was also pushed to be mentioned on Dec 15.
Anwar was charged last year with performing sodomy, a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia, with his former male aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan just months before making his political comeback in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
The former deputy prime minister had been sacked by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 over similar allegations of sodomy and corruption.
He was found guilty and convicted, spending six years in jail before the verdict was overturned.
Now heading the opposition alliance, Anwar made an appearance in court today accompanied by his wife, brother and supporters.
The 62-year-old told reporters that he was not deliberately trying to put off trial, as claimed by critics.
“I want the case to go on,” said the PKR adviser, who had just recently returned from abroad.
Though he did not name names, the man who is seeking to take over Putrajaya blamed certain parties for employing delay tactics and challenged them to also charge him for sodomy in the Syariah Court.
His complainant, Mohd Saiful, also turned up in the High Court today with his father and lawyer, causing a stir among members of the public when they caught a glimpse of him.
But the prosecution’s star witness immediately entered a separate chamber next to the courtroom and did not meet with Anwar.
The 24-year later told reporters that he was disappointed that the case was delayed.
“I attended court today with the aim of seeing the progress of my case. I want to say that I have been ready to testify for a long time,” he said.
“I’ve been waiting for one-and-a-half years. My fiancee and family have been very patiently waiting for the trial date so that the truth can be upheld,” he added.
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