KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar is no longer involved in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's qazaf (false sodomy accusation) case.
This followed the Syariah Court of Appeal allowing the opposition leader's bid to recuse Zainul Rijal from acting for former Federal Territory Syariah prosecution chief Shamsuddin Hussain and two others in the qazaf matter.
A three-man bench chaired by Datuk Mahammad Ibrahim ruled that Zainul Rijal had already voluntarily withdrawn himself when he filed his withdrawal application on Oct 11, 2012.
"We found the withdrawal application (by Zainul Rijal) was made in the correct form which were MS8 in accordance with section 95(1) of the Syariah Court Civil Procedure (Federal Territories) Act 1998," Mahammad said.
He noted that copies of the form were even served on all parties the day after the application was filed.
"The voluntary withdrawal fulfilled all regulatory conditions," Mahammad said.
The panel - also comprised of Datuk Aidi Moktar and Datuk Hussin Harun - ordered the ruling to take effect from yesterday and for parties to bear own cost.
Syarie lawyers Abdul Razak Mohideen and Roslizam Rahim are now the current representatives for Shamsuddin, former Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) director Che Mat Che Ali, and minister in the prime minister's department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.
Previously on September 26, 2012, the same court had dismissed Zainul Rijal’s self-recusal application when it found he had filed the wrong form.
The notice was filed in response to Anwar filing an application on August 18, 2011, to prevent Zainul Rijal from acting for Shamsuddin, Che Mat and Jamil Khir.
Anwar himself sought Zainul Rijal's removal over the latter's alleged unprofessionalism, dishonesty and lack of interest in upholding justice, and conflict of interest.
Anwar, who was present at yesterday's proceedings, was later escorted back to Sungai Buloh Prisons to serve his five-year jail term over a 2008 sodomy incident.
Also seen in the proceedings were his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, his daughter Nurul Izzah, and Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Syarie lawyer Dr Mohd Rafie Mohd Shafie and Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzaman appeared for Anwar in today's proceedings.
When met after proceedings yesterday, Kamar Ainiah said the court has not fixed a date to hear the main qazaf matter.