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Mahathir warned

KUALA LUMPUR: The judge in jailed former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim's sex trial told Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday to refrain from commenting on the case after the leader said his testimony was not needed.

High Court Judge Arifin Jaka put off a decision on whether to accept a defence request and call Mahathir to the witness stand in the nine-month trial that has split Malaysia.

"I haven't made up my mind yet on whether to ask the PM to appear in court or not," he said. "You have to satisfy me on whether the facts are relevant."

The judge told lawyers for Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan, jointly charged with sodomising the Anwar family's former driver, to present written arguments on Tuesday as to why they thought Mahathir should appear.

The landmark trial with political overtones has reached a critical juncture with the defence and government prosecutors arguing over whether Mahathir should be forced to take the stand.

Mahathir has called Anwar a homosexual and accused him of trying to end his 19-year rule with violent street protests.-Reuters