KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The Malaysian Bar Council has issued a show-cause letter to Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the lead prosecutor in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, for alleged professional misconduct.

Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru confirmed today that the show-cause letter has already been issued but declined to go into further details as it was confidential.

“The Bar has issued a show cause notice for allegations of professional misconduct.

“I am not at liberty to go into the contents of the notice as the allegations in all disciplinary proceedings are confidential,” he said in a brief text message to Malay Mail Online.

The show-cause letter was sent regarding Shafee’s participation in an Umno roadshow following Anwar’s sodomy conviction.

During  the event, Shafee reportedly continued to attack the then federal opposition leader, notably including calling him a “closet homosexual” during one public forum.

Attempts by the Malay Mail Online to contact Shafee for comment were unsuccessful.

News portal The Malaysian Insider reported today that the show-cause letter was sent some two weeks ago.

Shafee, a private lawyer, was authorised and appointed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to head the government’s prosecution team against Anwar at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.

In May, Steven said the Bar Council was considering lodging a complaint against Shafee with the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board for alleged misconduct following Anwar’s second sodomy conviction in February.

The Bar president said then that in cases where the Bar Council is assessing possible misconduct, the particular lawyer will first be asked to explain themselves and will lodge complaints if they are not satisfied.

Shafee has a High Court injunction that prohibits the Bar Council from tabling a motion to censure him over his conduct at the roadshows, pending the disposal of his lawsuit to strike out the aforementioned motion.

On February 10, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s conviction of Anwar for sodomising his former political aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, also retaining a five-year jail sentence.