KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - The Court of Appeal has granted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a stay of execution against all proceedings in the High Court until it makes a decision on his appeal against the transfer order of his sodomy case.

On the Tuesday, the Court of Appeal overruled the prosecution's preliminary objection against Anwar's appeal and said it would hear the appeal.

The High Court was supposed to hear on Wednesday the Opposition leader's application to compel the prosecution to provide him with certain documents for the preparation of his defence.

It will also hear Anwar's application to strike out the sodomy charge on July 8. The trial has been fixed for the same day.

On March 10, Sessions Court judge Rozana Ali Yusoff transferred to the High Court the trial against Anwar for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 24, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26 last year.

The case had originated in the Sessions Court before judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah last year but Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail later signed a certificate to transfer the case to the High Court.

On Nov 7, Komathy ruled that the transfer certificate was invalid. However, in an appeal on March 5, High Court Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that the Sessions judge 'had erred', and ordered the case be moved.