The court will also hear Yusoff Rawther’s appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of an application to expunge several paragraphs in the PKR president’s defence.

Lawyer Navpreet Singh, representing Anwar, said the appeal hearing date was fixed after case management before deputy registrar Zuhrina Mohamed Nor today.

“The parties have been instructed to file their written submissions by March 9. The proceeding will be conducted online,” he said.

On Sept 9 last year, judicial commissioner Johan Lee of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur said Yusoff’s application was without merit and the suit ought to be ventilated at a full trial.

It was in relation to a lawsuit Yusoff filed against Anwar on July 14, 2021, alleging sexual assault by his former employer.

In his statement of claim, Yusoff alleged that the sexual assault took place on Oct 2, 2018, at Anwar’s residence in Segambut.

He claimed that as a result of the incident, he was accused of plotting to bring down Anwar and damaging his political career, and this affected his mental health.

He is seeking special, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, and interest, costs and other relief as deemed fit by the court.

Yusoff had filed an application in December 2021 to remove a number of paragraphs in Anwar’s defence that he claimed were irrelevant to the suit.

He also said Anwar’s counterclaim was speculative in nature, vague and lacked clarity and particulars.

He added that the counterclaim had not identified any cause of action and was an abuse of the court’s process.