KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Karpal Singh, the fiery lawyer heading Team Anwar in the Opposition Leader’s ongoing sodomy trial, is suspected to have dengue, the High Court here was told today.

Trial judge Datuk Zabidin Mohd Diah  agreed to the defence team’s request to postpone the trial to tomorrow, pending Karpal’s medical condition.

But Zabidin advised Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s panel of lawyers to ready another lead lawyer in place of Karpal as the trial must go on.

Outside the courtroom, Karpal’s colleague, Sankara Nair, told reporters the senior lawyer had been feeling body aches and chills since last week.

“You know he was feeling poorly even yesterday, but he didn’t want to delay the trial.

“He had his blood tested for dengue at UH last Friday. The results are expected to be out today,” Sankara said, referring to the Universiti Malaysia hospital.

Karpal’s son who is also a member of the defence, Ramkarpal, added that his father had not yet been warded at the hospital but was resting at his Bukit Damansara home nearby.

Team Anwar has yet to decide who among them would take over, Sankara said.

Yesterday, Karpal had started cross-examing the prosecution’s witness, surgeon Razali Ibrahim, one of three Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) doctors who had examined Saiful Bukhary Azlan.

The surgeon disclosed that there was another, earlier medical report detailing the sodomy complainant’s medical history — other than the one that has been tendered as evidence.

Razali’s disclosure prompted Justic Zabidin to adjourn the trial early so he could get the file from the HKL records.

“We haven’t heard anything yet, Sankara replied when asked about the mystery medical report.

Anwar is on trial for sodomy for the second time in his life, this time for performing the unnatural sex act with Saiful, a former male aide.

The first time was immediately after his sacking from government in 1998.

Now 63, the grandad was again charged  two years ago in the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election, and had previously assembled a massive team comprising some 20 lawyers to defend him in court.

Among the big names in their group are: Datuk Param Cumareswamy, a former UN rapporteur and Datuk C.V. Prabhakaran.

Former Bar Council president Sulaiman Abdullah had been the PKR advisor’s first lead since the latter was charged, but had to pull out due to ill health as well last year.

Celebrated human rights lawyer. Raja Aziz Addruse was to have replaced Sulaiman, but was himself replaced by Karpal.

Raja Aziz is currently undergoing chemotherapy.