Anwar to appeal verdict favoring Dr M
(Free Malaysia Today) – An appeal is being filed against a decision throwing out Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s RM100million defamation suit against former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the grounds that Bahasa Malaysia is the only language supreme in court.
The Court of Appeal ruled against Anwar on Wednesday on the grounds that his written submission was in English and not in Bahasa Malaysia, the supreme language in court.
Anwar’s lawyer Karpal Singh said he has filed an application for leave with the Federal Court to appeal the decision.
This was the first time a court case was dismissed based on the judge’s grounds that the appellant had failed to file an appeal in Bahasa Malaysia, he said.
While the Federal Constitution stipulated the supremacy of Bahasa Malaysia, Karpal Singh said courts were bestowed with inherent jurisdiction to ensure justice was not denied to litigants.
He said every effort should be made ensure suits were not thrown out on technicalities as public interest demands that this be so.
“I hope the Federal Court will put right what the Court of Appeal had put wrong,” he said.
