Retro Federal Court puts off Anwar’s appeal against sacking

Malaysianinsider | By Edward Cheah and Lee Wei Lian

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have to wait yet again for the courts to hear his lawsuit against the government over his dismissal from the cabinet in 1998. – File picture by Choo Choy May

PUTRAJAYA, May 21 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's lawsuit against the government was postponed today due to the large number of cases in the Federal Court.

The new date for hearing has been fixed for July 30.

With lawyers for both sides ready and waiting, the court clerk announced that the case would have to be postponed because of the Federal Court's tight schedule.

The court today was set to hear the appeal against the dismissal of the case last year by the High Court.

Ramkarpal Singh, counsel for Anwar, said that if successful the case could be thrown back to the High Court or in extraordinary circumstances the Federal Court could hear the case.

If the appeal is unsuccessful it will likely be the end of the road for the case as the Federal Court is the last court available for appeal.

Anwar is suing former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the government for wrongfully sacking him as the finance and deputy prime minister in 1998.