Court sets Friday to hear Anwar's application

The High Court here today fixed Friday to hear an application by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for leave to challenge the decision of the Commissioner-General of Prisons to bar him from attending the Dewan Rakyat session which will end on April 9.

Judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad fixed the date in chambers in the presence of Senior Federal Council Amarjeet Singh who represented Home Minister and the Commissioner General of Prisons, and lawyer Latheefa Koya who appeared for Anwar.

On March 18, Anwar, 67, filed the application and named the Home Minister and the Commissioner General of Prisons as the first and second respondents.

Through the supporting affidavit, Anwar, who is currently in the Sungai Buloh Prison, claimed that he was still a member of the Dewan Rakyat and the Opposition Leader as the petition for a royal pardon to the Yang Di-pertuan Agong had yet to be decided.

He submitted the application for the royal pardon on Feb 24 after the Federal Court maintained his five-year jail sentence for sodomising his personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

PHOTO GALLERY: Sodomy II: Anwar sentenced to five years

Anwar claimed the decision of the two respondents in not allowing him to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting were unconstitutional, invalid and void.

Anwar sought for an order that the decision of the Commissioner-General of Prison dated March 4 be transferred to the High Court and revoked under a certiorari order.

He also sought the mandamus order requiring the Commissioner-General of Prisons to allow him to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting and a declaration that he had the right to attend the sitting.