Lawyers representing Dr Mahathir Mohamad are appealing today's decision by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, which dismissed the former prime minister's bid to remove two members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the 1990s foreign exchange losses.

Mahathir's lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla said his team filed the notice of appeal at the registry of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

"Now, we are rushing to the Court of Appeal registry at the Palace of Justice (in Putrajaya) to file the notice of motion and the certificate of urgency to obtain a stay of the RCI proceedings beginning Aug 21, until our notice of appeal is heard," he said.

Haniff said his team would try to meet Court of Appeal president Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin's secretary, or the registrar, to convince them on the reasons based on the procedure.

"We hope to get a hearing date either tomorrow or on Monday," he added.

After meeting the registrar, the Court of Appeal has decided to hear the stay application tomorrow (Friday) via inter parte (between the parties) proceeding.

The RCI on forex is scheduled to begin its hearing, also on Monday, Aug 21.

Earlier today, Justice Azizah Nawawi dismissed Mahathir's legal challenge for the former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan and Pemudah chairperson Saw Choo Boon to be removed from the five-member commission.

This came after Justice Azizah allowed a preliminary objection from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which appeared for the RCI and the government.

Mahathir wants Sidek and Saw dropped from the RCI as they were also members of the task force on forex and he fears that there could be elements of prejudice before the hearing commences next week.