Cherie Blair, the barrister wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, made a surprise appearance in Malaysia's highest court today as she fought a ban on acting in a controversial legal case.

Mrs Blair, who is known professionally as Cherie Booth, was hired to represent a company involved in a lawsuit linked to allegations of government corruption, but the High Court ruled last week that local lawyers were capable of handling the case.

As she walked into the court, a smiling and confident-looking Mrs Blair told AFP she was in Malaysia "just to observe" proceedings as the appeal against the decision was launched.

She was greeted at the Palace of Justice in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya by political dissident Anwar Ibrahim, the one-time deputy premier who was sacked and jailed in 1998.

Anwar, who was at the court for a separate case related to his imprisonment on sodomy and corruption charges, welcomed her involvement in the case, in which a company was allegedly swindled with the assistance of a former finance minister.

"At least it gives a lot of media attention on the state of the judiciary in this country," said Anwar after he chatted briefly with Mrs Blair.

Shady deals

The case, which revolves around two politically connected business tycoons who are alleged to have benefited from a RM756 million government payout "displays the shady deals and political involvement in decision making" Anwar told AFP.

Lawyers for Fawziah Holdings which is seeking to appoint Mrs Blair as its lead counsel lauded her experience as a Queen's Counsel and a part-time judge, and blasted the High Court's decision to bar her from proceedings as misguided.

"She has got this combination that one would not ordinarily find," said counsel Cyrus Das, adding that she had acted in "some of the most prominent public law cases in recent times".

He pointed out that other foreign lawyers had been admitted to appear in Malaysian courts, including high-profile British barrister Geoffrey Robertson.

The Malaysian Bar Council told the Federal Court that although Mrs Blair was highly experienced, she lacked the necessary expertise to act in this case.

"There are many Malaysian advocates and solicitors who have the relevant expertise," said lawyer George Varughese.

"The appellant does not appear to possess the relevant expertise or experience."

But Das said that as the case touched on allegations of bias by a judge, an issue which has never arisen in Malaysian courts before, Fawziah needed the services of Mrs Blair who was "an acknowledged expert" in public law.

He told AFP that he did not expect a decision on the appeal to be handed down Wednesday and that Mrs Blair would have to return to Britain if the proceedings were drawn out.

"She is so busy, she has to go back," he said.