Anwar wants review of qazaf application decision
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants a review of the Syariah Court of Appeal’s decision in allowing Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and two others leave to set aside his qazaf appeal without first providing grounds.
“My Syarie lawyers have objected and stated that leave from the court has to be granted before the respondents can argue about setting aside my notice of appeal,” the PKR de facto leader told reporters after filing the application for review at the Federal Territories Syariah court.
“I am urging the Syariah court to not deny the existence of wrongdoings which has affected the credibility of the Syariah judiciary and also justice for me,” he added.
The Syariah Court of Appeal had on January 30 granted leave to Islamic affairs minister Jamil (picture) and Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) officers — chief prosecutor Shahsuddin Hussain and MAIWP director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali — to set aside Anwar’s qazaf appeal without first hearing the grounds.
This led to Anwar’s lawyers staging a walkout, claiming that proper court procedure was not adhered to.
PKR de facto leader Anwar had filed an application in January 2010 to compel Shahsuddin to prosecute his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan after he declined to proceed with the qazaf case.
The Permatang Pauh MP then took his case to the Syariah Court of Appeal after the High Court had dismissed his application.
The former deputy prime minister, who was recently acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of sodomising Saiful, named Jamil Khir, Che Mat and Shahsuddin as respondents.
The trio have also been embroiled in controversy over the alleged use of RM63,650 in zakat funds to pay for legal fees related to the qazaf case.
But they have denied abusing the alms money, with Che Mat insisting that zakat can be used to “defend the sovereignty and honour” of Islamic institutions.
