Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be making an eagerly awaited appearance in court tomorrow to face questions from the royal commission tasked to investigate the VK Lingam tape.

Deputy public prosecutor Azmi Ariffin told reporters at the end of the commission’s second day of public hearing that Mahathir had been called to testify.

Mahathir’s aide Sufi Yusof when contacted by Malaysiakini confirmed that the ex-premier would go before the commission.

The retired politician name was mentioned several times in the video where Lingam was apparently brokering the appointment of judges with then Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim in December 2001.

In the 14-minute video, Mahathir was alluded to have met and corresponded with various personalities including Ahmad Fairuz, then minister in the PM’s Department Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and business tycoon Vincent Tan over the selection of ‘friendly’ judges.

Mahathir, 82, has also a working relationship with Lingam, who represents him in several of his legal suits.

Mahathir to meet Anwar?

Mahathir’s present in court tomorrow opens up the tantalising possibility of a chance meeting between the former strongman and his protege-turned-foe, ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who is de facto PKR leader, is also scheduled to appear for questioning together with his political coordinator Sim Tze Tzin and party vice-president R Sivarasa.

It is unclear exactly when the two former leaders would be called to testify in the day-long hearing. Anwar, who appeared briefly outside the courtroom on Monday, was not present today.

All witnesses who have been called to testify are not allowed to go into the courtroom.

Mahathir and Anwar has not had a public meeting since the latter was sacked in 1998 and charged with corruption and sodomy two years later.

Mahathir has just returned after paying an emotional visit to Indonesia's ailing ex-leader Suharto earlier this week.

The commission proceeding is held at the Kuala Lumpur High Court in Jalan Duta and is scheduled to end on Jan 25.