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.