Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has instructed his lawyer to liaise with jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s legal team on the best option to support Anwar’s application to challenge the National Security Council Act 2016 (NSC Act).

Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla told Malaysiakini that he received the instructions yesterday, just one day after Mahathir made a surprise appearance at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, at a hearing on Anwar’s bid to obtain a temporary injunction to stop the implementation of the NSC Act.

“I am instructed to liaise with Anwar’s lawyers to consider in which way Tun (Mahathir) can contribute to support the challenge to the NSC Act.

“I will try to liaise with them by next week,” Haniff Khatri said in reference to lawyers N Surendran, Latheefa Koya and Eric Paulsen, who acted on behalf of Anwar for the case.

PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said yesterday the two leaders also met for about 30 minutes and Haniff confirmed that they discussed, among others, the possibilities of Mahathir filing an affidavit of support for the case.

“We (lawyers) will be looking at all options permissible,” he said.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders in 18 years, after then prime minister Mahathir sacked his deputy Anwar and had him jailed for sodomy and abuse of power, charges that Anwar claimed were politically motivated.

The move was seen by others present in court as Mahathir giving moral support to Anwar.

Malaysiakini understands that the initial reconciliation process had started a few months ago, during the height of Mahathir’s efforts to rally support for the Citizens’ Declaration movement.

Others present during the meeting were Azmin, Anwar’s wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as well as former Umno division leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan.