Mahathir summons hangs in balance

Mahathir summons hangs in balance

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Prosecutors in the sodomy trial of
Malaysia's fired deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday
they would oppose defense attempts to call Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad as a witness on Thursday.

Judge Arifin Jaka said he would rule Thursday on whether
Mahathir must obey a subpoena but added: "Please don't ask the PM
to come in the morning."

If Mahathir does attend court it would be his first encounter
with his jailed former heir-apparent since he fired Anwar 17
months ago, throwing Malaysian politics into turmoil.

However, Mahathir's press secretary Zakaria Abdul Wahab said
that if the court says the PM has to come, he will come. "Nobody
is above the law," he said.