Former Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor's appeal against the two-month jail sentence for assaulting former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was postponed today as Rahim was reported to be sick.

Rahim's counsel K Kumaraendran told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that Rahim has been admitted to the National Heart Institute at 4.30am this morning.

Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin was to have heard appeals from defence and prosecution against the sentencing imposed on Rahim on March 15 but adjourned the matter to Nov 10 when told that Rahim was admitted with chest complications.

This is the second time the appeal has to be shelved as earlier on June 26, justice Nik Hashim Nik Abdul Rahman also postponed the matter, to today, after being told that Rahim was sick.

On that day defence counsel Kumaraendran read a letter from a private chest physician stating that Rahim has been sick with "acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma for the past three days".

No medical certificate was tendered to the court today due to the "sudden admission" and Kumaraendran informed the court that he will submit one as soon as possible.

Kumaraendran said he himself was only informed earlier today of Rahim's condition by Rahim's bailor and brother-in-law, Col Mohd Yusuf Abd Razak.

Zulkefli said that Rahim should take more care of his health as it was important for this case to proceed without continual adjournments.

"This is a public interest case ... (it) cannot be delayed unless there is a good cause. The case has already be adjourned twice ... the court can only advise Tan Sri Rahim to take good care of himself so that the case can proceed," said Zulkefli.

The judge also said the case should not be postponed until next year "unless (the) medical report shows he (Rahim) is too ill".

Deputy public prosecutors Salehhuddin Saidin and Dzulkifli Ahmad did not object to the adjournment. Karpal Singh held a watching brief for Anwar

Rahim was jailed for two months and fined RM2,000 on March 15 after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault, under which he could have been jailed for up to a year.Under the original charge of attempting to cause Anwar grievous hurt, he could have been jailed for three and a half years.

The prosecutors are appealing for a longer jail term while the defence lawyers are seeking a non-custodial sentence.

Rahim is charged with committing the offence on Sept 20, 1998, the day Anwar was detained, by punching Anwar on the forehead and slapping him several times in a cell at the national police headquarters.

Rahim resigned in January 1999 to take responsibility for the assault but only admitted in March that year to a commission of inquiry that he was personally responsible, adding that he was provoked after Anwar called him "the father of dogs."