KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 ― Sparks flew briefly between Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today when they clashed again court, this time over the former’s alleged attempt to entice an Umno minister to defect.

Anwar, who was allowed out from the Sungai Buloh prison to testify in his defamation suit against the minister, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, sniped at Shafee when the lawyer asked how he had come to know the purported agent for the alleged RM100 million defection offer.

In his reply, Anwar said the alleged agent, businessman Datuk Ishak Ismail, had been “close to me when I was minister”.

He then added that Ishak was “one of the Umno leaders that approached me like you did”.

Not missing a beat, Shafee told Anwar: “We can both play the same game, my question is whether you know Ishak Ismail, not whether you know me.”

But the cross-examination later proceeded with both Anwar and Shafee appearing to have calmed down. Anwar later labelled the lawyer’s suggestions as an “absurd proposition”.

When Shafee suggested that Anwar had used Ishak as an agent to strike a deal with Anifah to ensure the success of his September 16, 2008 plan to take over Putrajaya, Anwar responded by calling it a “politically-motivated” question.

In Election 2008, Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition won 140 federal seats while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won the remaining 82 seats. The number of seats required for a simple majority is 112.

Denying Anifah’s claim, Anwar also told the courts today that Ishak himself had issued a “strong denial” of the alleged defection offer, adding that Anifah had not taken up the businessman’s offer to repeat the allegation outside court.

In the RM100 million defamation suit filed on May 27, 2009, Anwar is accusing Anifah of defaming him by alleging he had tempted the Kimanis MP to cross over from Barisan Nasional (BN) by offering a senior government position akin to the post of deputy prime minister.

Anwar is also claiming that Anifah had said that he had started to buy over other lawmakers to join Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Judicial commissioner Siti Khadijah Hassan Badjenid fixed June 5 for clarification from both sides. A total of eight witnesses including Anifah appeared for the defence, while Anwar is the sole witness for the plaintiff.

There was a light moment in court when Anwar thanked the judge and said that he will “balik” (return) to the Sungai Buloh prison.

Later this morning, Shafee told reporters that he thinks Anwar is “still reeling from his conviction”.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was present with Anwar's wife and five other children during the short courtroom exchange, criticised Shafee's conduct and questioned the legacy left on the Attorney-General's Chambers.

“The entire legal fraternity, majority of legal fraternity, have spoken out at his conduct, very unbecoming,” she said, expressing the family's pride at how Anwar had “stood his ground” when testifying.

Shafee, a private lawyer who has represented Umno in the past, was called by the AG's Chambers to be the lead prosecutor in Anwar's second sodomy offence.

Last Tuesday, the Federal Court upheld an earlier conviction against Anwar and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment for a charge of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.