Anwar’s ex-aide fled to London.
Yusoff Rawther, the former research assistant to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has applied for human rights asylum in the United Kingdom and will not return to Malaysia to attend his upcoming legal proceedings. Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, his lawyer, Rafique Rashid Ali, revealed that his client is currently in London and faces genuine fears regarding his personal security, stating that Yusoff is “truly in fear, concerned about his safety, and worried about being harmed.”
This sudden development directly impacts upcoming appeal proceedings scheduled for 15 June at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya. Rafique explained that he received an email from his client on 1 June confirming the asylum application, noting that the UK government is currently holding Yusoff’s passport. Following this notification, Rafique wrote directly to the Court of Appeal president on 2 June to inform them of the situation, sending a duplicate copy of the letter to the Attorney-General.
The scheduled hearing is the result of an ongoing legal challenge by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which filed a notice of appeal on 16 June last year. This appeal seeks to overturn a decision made on 12 June last year by Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Jamil Hussin, who acquitted and discharged Yusoff after ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case at the end of their presentation.
Prior to his acquittal, Yusoff had faced serious charges under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 36(1) of the Arms Act 1960. The charges alleged that he had control, custody, and possession of two imitation pistols alongside cannabis trafficking offences. Because of his ongoing asylum process and safety anxieties, his counsel has made it clear that he will be skipping the critical court date.