Peter’s lawyer, S Devanandan, said a notice of appeal was filed at the High Court registry here yesterday.

“This is to allow the High Court to prepare the appeal records which include the written judgment and notes of proceedings,” he said.

Devanandan said a petition of appeal will be filed in the Court of Appeal at a later date after the appeal records are obtained.

According to court rules, the petition of appeal must be filed within 10 days after the appeal records are delivered to an appellant. They will outline where the appellant says the judge erred in law and fact.

The appeal to the Court of Appeal is the final opportunity for Peter to set aside his conviction as his trial was heard in the sessions court.

On Tuesday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed his initial appeal.

Justice Ahmad Bache said the trial judge did not commit any error, either in law or in fact, when finding the Melalap assemblyman guilty of the charge last May.

Ahmad also maintained the sentence of three years’ imprisonment and fine of RM50,000 imposed on the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president by sessions court judge Azura Alwi.

However, he allowed Peter a stay of his conviction and jail sentence pending his final appeal. Peter has already paid the fine.

Peter, 52, who was at the time the managing director of Syarikat Asli Jati, was convicted for forging a letter from the office of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor, dated June 9, 2014, by inserting a false statement with the intention of using it for fraudulent purposes.

He had committed the offence at the office of the principal private secretary to then prime minister Najib Razak at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya between June 13 and Aug 21, 2014.