High Court to rule on preliminary issues in Anwar's civil suit on Sept 21

The High Court in Malaysia has scheduled a ruling on September 21 to address several preliminary issues in the civil suit filed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. These issues stem from a case initiated by Anwar's former research aide, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who claims Anwar sexually assaulted him. The date was set after hearings where Anwar's legal team, represented by Christopher Leong, and Yusoff's legal counsel, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, presented their arguments.

Through his legal bid, Anwar aims to have key points like Yusoff's whereabouts on October 2, 2018, and his presence at Anwar's residence resolved before the trial commences. If successful, this could potentially settle the entire case without proceeding to a full trial. Yusoff initiated the lawsuit on July 14, 2021, alleging sexual assault, and has demanded general, special, aggravated, and exemplary damages, alongside interest and costs.

In response, Anwar refuted these claims and filed a counterclaim, alleging that Yusoff had lied to the authorities about the incident and used it to damage Anwar's political standing and aspirations to become prime minister. Notably, this issue was part of a broader dispute over the allegations. The High Court rejected Yusoff's request to dismiss several paragraphs of Anwar's statement of defence and counterclaim on September 9, 2022.