Lawyers defending Anwar Ibrahim will seek a postponement of his Federal Court appeal hearing against his conviction on four counts of corruption scheduled for this Monday.

One of his lawyers, Sankara Nair told malaysiakini today that the former deputy prime minister was "in a bad shape" at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital and would not be able to attend the hearing.

Anwar was admitted to the hospital on Nov 24 after doctors confirmed that he was suffering from a "prolapse of the disc with severe compression of the nerve root" (slipped disc).

Sankara said that he has written to the court to seek a postponement and will follow this up with a comprehensive medical report from the doctors.

"I am still waiting for the medical report and I understand that the panel of doctors will be meeting today before coming up with a comprehensive report. If we don't receive it on time, the defence lawyers will go to the Federal Court on Monday to ask for the postponement," he said.

According to him, Anwar may require surgery as the treatment he is currently receiving was not improving his condition.

Final venue

"He is unable to move. The therapy is not working. His next option may be surgery, but he has to discuss it with his family first," Sankara said.

The Federal Court was earlier scheduled to hear the appeal on Nov 27 but postponed it to next Monday after the court was informed of Anwar's admission to the hospital.

The appeal to the Federal Court, comprising Malaya chief judge Wan Adnan Wan Ismail, Sabah and Sarawak chief judge Steve Shim and Federal Court judge Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, is Anwar's final venue of appeal against his conviction.

He was found guilty by the High Court on April 14 last year of abusing his power in asking the police to get a retraction of a police report from two persons, Azizan Abu Bakar and Ummi Hafilda Ali, who had accused him of sexual misconduct.

Justice Augustine Paul sentenced Anwar to six years' jail for committing the offences at his (Anwar's) former residence between Aug 12 and Aug 27, 1997.

Anwar's appeal to overturn this verdict was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on April 29 this year when a three-panel court, presided by Appellate Court president Lamin Yunus, unanimously upheld the High Court's decision.

Libel suit

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal will deliver its decision this Saturday on whether Anwar can pursue his RM100 million libel suit against prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Sankara said that Anwar need not appear in court for the decision as it was a civil matter.

The three-member Court of Appeal panel comprising Justices Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Mokhtar Sidin and Denis Ong, had on Aug 15 reserved its judgment on an attempt by Anwar to overturn the High Court's decision to strike out the suit.

Anwar's suit was struck out with costs by High Court judge RK Nathan on Aug 30 last year following an application by Mahathir on grounds that the suit was frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.

Nathan ruled that Mahathir was duty bound to inform the public on Anwar's removal from his ministerial and party posts.

In the suit filed on Jan 25 last year, Anwar claimed that Mahathir had defamed him by alleging that he committed immoral acts when the prime minister spoke to foreign and local reporters at a press conference.

The prime minister said in his statement of defence that he enjoyed qualified privilege as he spoke on the matter in his capacity as the prime minister, adding that what he had said was said in the course of discussing government and political matters concerning Anwar.