Court of Appeal grants stay for PM Anwar in civil suit proceedings

The Star

7 days ago

PETALING JAYA: The Court of Appeal has granted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a stay on all proceedings related to a civil suit filed by his former research assistant, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther.
The decision was made by a three-judge bench led by Justice Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, who unanimously allowed Anwar's request due to his pending appeal to the Federal Court on significant constitutional questions.
"If this application is not granted, the appeal to raise these legal questions will become academic," Justice Che Mohd Ruzima stated on Monday (July 21).
Justice Che Mohd Ruzima assured that the stay would not prejudice any party involved in the case. The panel included Justices Datuk Wong Kian Kheong and Datuk Dr Lim Hock Leng.
The lawsuit, alleging an incident that purportedly occurred before Anwar assumed office as Prime Minister, was initially scheduled to be heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 16.
During an earlier proceeding, Anwar's lawyer, Alan Wong Teck Lee, argued that proceeding with the trial on June 16 would render his client's appeal meaningless, and any losses incurred would be irreparable.
Wong highlighted that the constitutional issues Anwar raised, including whether a serving Prime Minister is immune from lawsuits over personal conduct alleged before taking office, are significant matters that need addressing first.
However, the plaintiff's lawyer, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, objected to the stay, arguing that it disrupts the court's schedule and undermines his client's right to timely justice. He maintained that Muhammed Yusoff's access to justice is a constitutional right under the Federal Constitution.
The Federal Court is expected to deliberate on Anwar's appeal to refer the legal questions in due course, with the next case management date set for September 2.