Anwar Ibrahim has filed an application to stay his sodomy trial scheduled for Tuesday, resulting in the court to hear this first before the controversial trial can proceed.

His lawyer, Sankara Nair, informed reporters that he filed the application at the High Court registry here this morning.

Nair said the court fixed Tuesday to hear the application before Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

Whether the trial goes on or not depends on the outcome of the application.

the charge against anwar ibrahim sodomy allegation trial 070808 He said the trial had to be stayed pending Anwar's appeal over the High Court's refusal of his application to strike out the sodomy charge against him.

Anwar filed a notice of appeal against the order on Dec 10 last year. The Court of appeal has yet set the date for the hearing.

On Dec 1 last year, Mohamad Zabidin rejected Anwar's application and set a month beginning Jan 25 for the trial.

However, the Federal Court which heard Anwar's final appeal to have the documents, which he claimed were crucial for his defence, ordered the sodomy trial adjourned to Feb 2, pending its decision on the documents application which will be given tomorrow.  

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 24, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur on June 26, 2008.

- Bernama