Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad has made a bid to avoid a courtroom showdown with Anwar Ibrahim, asking for a libel suit against him by his sacked deputy to be dismissed.

Mahathir's counsel, V.K. Lingam, said an application was filed Friday to Malaysia's high court arguing the suit launched by Anwar in June last year was "frivolous".

"There's an application to strike out the written suit," Lingam told AFP on Saturday, saying it could be discussed on Tuesday next week, when the high court is scheduled to discuss Anwar's case.

The lawsuit was sparked by comments by Mahathir in September 2005 to the media that he had to sack Anwar as deputy premier to prevent mainly Muslim Malaysia from having a "gay" leader.

"He was accounting for his actions as a former prime minister as to why he sacked his deputy from the government post," said Lingam.

"He had a duty to explain in response to questions posed by the journalists," he said.

Mahathir, in a 48-page affidavit with his application, accuses Anwar of aspiring to be Malaysia's premier, and of using the suit to "rehabilitate himself for high office or to undermine and attack the various court findings against him."

Malicious and untrue

Anwar, who was Mahathir's heir-apparent, was removed in 1998 and later convicted of sodomy and corruption and spent six years in jail, until the sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004.

Anwar has said in his suit the remarks from his ex-boss at a human rights conference were malicious and untrue.

"I cannot have a person who is like that in my cabinet who may succeed and become the prime minister. Imagine having a gay prime minister. Nobody would be safe," Mahathir told reporters at the time.

Anwar has said he was shocked over Mahathir's "gay" comments, particularly after a court in 2005 awarded him US$1.2 million in damages over a book that aired the sodomy allegations.

He has demanded a public apology and RM100 million (US$28.47 million) but Anwar's lawyers say he is looking for vindication, rather than compensation.

Human rights groups maintain that allegations Anwar conducted a sexual relationship with his driver, then abused his powers to conceal it, were trumped up to prevent him from challenging Mahathir, who retired in October 2003.