Anwar had been expected to take the stand, possibly as early as Monday, for the first time in the marathon three-year trial, to defend himself against charges he sodomised a young male aide in 2008.[break]
But Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Zabidin Mohamed Diah put the proceedings back to August 15 after he granted a request by Anwar´s team to seek interviews with witnesses, including the prime minister.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Anwar called the ruling a "surprise."
"Until now, prime ministers would make scurrilous attacks on peoples´ characters but would not have the courage to be interviewed and come to court. So we will see. Here there is a court order," he said.
But he said despite the judge´s decision he still believed he had been denied a fair trial.
Aides to Najib could not immediately be reached for comment.
Anwar´s accuser Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan has said he met with Najib before filing a police report on the sodomy accusation.
The defence says this indicates the case was manufactured and has sought interviews with Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor and others before presenting their case and calling witnesses in court.
The defence has said those interviewed could potentially be called to take the stand in the trial.
Noorin Badaruddin, a member of the prosecution team, said Monday´s ruling means witnesses sought by Anwar will be compelled to come to court for interviews with the defence but will not be legally bound to offer any testimony.
The one-time premier-in-waiting, who turns 64 on Wednesday, has blasted the charges as a political frame-up. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of sodomy, which is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia.
Anwar´s legal battles have dominated Malaysian politics for years.
Malaysia was once one of Asia´s most politically stable countries under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who groomed Anwar to one day take the helm of the economically vibrant, ethnically diverse nation.
But a bitter policy split amid the 1997 Asian currency crisis led to Anwar´s arrest the following year -- and later his conviction -- on separate sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Anwar was freed in 2004 after that sodomy conviction was overturned and he sparked a resurgence by the political opposition, which achieved historic gains against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in 2008 general elections.
But the new sodomy accusation also emerged that year, and Anwar alleges the ruling coalition, which has governed Malaysia for half a century and is now headed by Najib, concocted the case to stall the opposition´s gains.
Fresh elections are widely expected to be called early next year.
Last month, police used tear gas and water cannon to put down a demonstration calling for electoral reform, the biggest anti-government protest in years.
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