Anwar: Lawyering skills learnt from Karpal and Raja Aziz

PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim admitted it was not easy representing himself but he had observed senior lawyers like the late Raja Aziz Addruse and Karpal Singh in action, which was a great help.

Speaking to reporters today after representing himself at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, in his judicial review application to challenge the Pardons Board decision, he revealed he had not been given access to a law library.

“I have learnt and got enough training from observing lawyers like Raja Aziz and Karpal,” he said while being led by Prisons Department guards.

Raja Aziz and Karpal had represented him in his corruption and sodomy I case that began in 1998.

Anwar is now serving a five year jail sentence for sodomy II.

Today, Justice Nor Bee Ariffin fixed April 26 to hear submissions for the judicial review application.

This follows Anwar only received submissions from the lawyers of the Attorney-General Chambers on their preliminary objection today. They were supposed to give them to Anwar last Thursday but could not do so.

Previously, the 68-year-old politician complained of only receiving the Federal Constitution from the Prisons Department to prepare for the case.

Lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya who is appearing for PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail along with Nurul Izzah and Nurul Nuha, who together with Anwar filed the judicial review, said they received the documents from the AG's Chambers last Thursday.

“Anwar also submitted the question of law to the AG's Chambers on the case yesterday,” said Surendran, adding following this, Justice Nor Bee fixed April 26 for hearing of the leave application.

On June 24, last year, Anwar along with Wan Azizah and daughters Nurul Izzah and Nurul Nuha, filed the application, naming the Pardons Board, the attorney-general and the Malaysian government as respondents.

The application seeks to quash the Pardons Board’s decision in dismissing his petition for a royal pardon over his sodomy conviction last March. -Mkini