Malaysia appeals court grants PM Anwar temporary stay in Yusoff Rawther suit

PUTRAJAYA - The Court of Appeal has allowed an application by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to temporarily stay the hearing of a lawsuit filed by his former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther over allegations of sexual harassment.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel chaired by Justice Supang Lian said on June 10 the appellate court was empowered under Section 44 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to make an ad interim order to preserve the integrity of Mr Anwar’s stay application pending the disposal of his appeal against the High Court’s decision that dismissed his application to refer eight legal questions to the Federal Court.

“Accordingly, we hereby make an ad interim order to stay all proceedings, including the full trial at the High Court,” Justice Supang said in online proceedings.

The hearing of the main lawsuit by Mr Yusoff was initially fixed to begin on June 16.

Other judges on the bench were Justices Faizah Jamaludin and Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin.

Earlier, the panel heard from Mr Anwar’s counsel, Mr Alan Wong, that if the full trial proceeds, the effects would be “irreversible”.

“The constitutional issues raised (in the application) would have been overtaken by events,” he said.

Mr Wong submitted that, as the appellant was a sitting prime minister, he would be required to divert his attention and resources from government business to attend to the trial, disrupting his official function.

“To assist the court in appreciating the scale of this disruption, I have instructions to tender a copy of the prime minister’s schedule during the trial period,” he said, requesting that the document be received under seal.

Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, who represented Mr Yusoff, objected on the grounds that any introduction of a material should have been done in an