KUALA LUMPUR. May 4: The sex trial of jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim was adjourned Indefinitely today to enable his lawyers to appeal against a High Court order exempting Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed from testifying, rej ports AP. 1

Anwar's attorney. Karpal Singh, told reporters that thq 11-month-old trial would re-j sume after the Court of Appeals decided the validity of an orderi by trial Judge Arlfnn Jaka that the 74-year-old prime minis tea was not required to testify.

Defence lawyers said appeal hearings were likely to last sevl eral weeks. The date for hearing the appeal has not been fixed. J

Last month. Ariffin ended six-month effort by defenca lawyers to subpoena Mahathir! He ruled that there was no evi-| deuce to show’ that Mahathirl masterminded a political con-3 splracy to crush his one-timei protege's political career. |

The defence has accused tbcl court of going out of its way tai quash the subpoena aga'insrl Mahathir, while prosecutors* said that Anwar's lawyers wer^ intending to ridicule Malaysia'^ leader for 18 years by putting him in the witness stand. j

Frustrated by what he con-i siders a fruitless legal battlefl Anwar had then told hia| lawyers to consider giving ut'| his defense In the sodomy triaH But he later decided to fight on. fl

If Anwar, sacked by Ma-g hathir in September 1998. ifl convicted of sodomy, he could receive up to 20 years in prisonfl

Anwar's sex trial began soofl after his first conviction ofl four counts of abuse of powefl last April. In both trials, defl fence lawyers have repcatedlfl accused the Judge of blockinfl their arguments and not allowfl ing Anwar a fair defence. B