The defence team for former deputy premier is expected to produce three witnesses from the Finance Ministry to show the whereabouts of Anwar Ibrahim at the time of his alleged offences.

"The witnesses are those who travelled with Anwar overseas. We have to produce them in court as Anwar's passport is still missing," counsel Christopher Fernando told malaysiakini today.

Judge Ariffin Jaka questioned Fernando on the absence of the original document when he submitted photocopies of the passport showing Anwar's alleged whereabouts between Feb 11 and Feb 14 when he began the alibi defence yesterday.

The trial had been postponed to tomorrow morning to allow the defence to subpoena the witnesses.

Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan are charged with sodomising Azizan at Sukma's apartment on "one night at 7.45pm, between January and March, 1993". Anwar's defence counsels are expected to produce 15 witnesses who may include Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and other key ministers.

Anwar, wearing a stripped long-sleeved shirt and navy blue slacks appeared in a jovial mood and embraced DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang and family members who were present in court. He also showed the thumb-up sign to the journalists and those seated at the public gallery.

The one-time heir apparent is currently serving a-six-year jail term for corruption and stands trial for sodomy and sexual misconduct following his shock dismissal from the government in September 1998. Anwar had consistently denied all charges saying they were conspired by Mahathir and his aides to end his political career.