KUALA LUMPUR: A doctor who attended to Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has told the High Court here it is "possible" for the Umno president to attend court proceedings on Sept 6 for the submissions in his corruption trial.

       Dr Mohd Shahir Anuar said this on Wednesday (Aug 25) after Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah asked him if the accused was fit to attend the proceedings, given his current medical condition.

       Ahmad Zahid, 68, is currently at the Avisena Specialist Hospital in Shah Alam for treatment following a fall.

       Dr Mohd Shahir said ideally, Ahmad Zahid would need four weeks to recover from a pain intervention procedure (PIP) performed on Tuesday (Aug 24) to ease the pain from a slipped disc.

       This had caused Ahmad Zahid not to show up in court, which was initially scheduled for submissions in his case.

       Justice Sequerah: But would it be possible, if in two weeks, he comes here just to sit and there will be breaks in between.

       Dr Mohd Shahir: Possible. Not longer than 40 minutes (for each sitting).

       Dr Mohd Shahir appeared before the court at Ahmad Zahid's trial following a subpoena issued on the doctor as the judge required him to explain the medical situation of the accused.

       According to the doctor, Ahmad Zahid said he had slipped in the bathroom on Aug 18.

       "He basically had severe neck pain and thoracic pain. As mentioned in my medical report, he already had a cervical slipped disc before, which was operated on in Munich, Germany," Dr Mohd Shahir said.

       He also said Ahmad Zahid would not be able to sit in a static posture for more than 45 minutes.

       Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, however, said the accused had gone to see the King a day after the alleged fall.

       She said the accused was also present during the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister on Saturday (Aug 21).

       "I watched it (the ceremony) from start to finish. Your patient was there. The pain he described to you did not prevent him from driving or to be driven all the way to Istana Negara. He sat there at least one hour or more until the ceremony ended.

       "That kind of pain could not have prevented him or did not prevent him," she said.

       DPP Raja Rozela: I put it to you, he (Ahmad Zahid) is actually malingering because he has been seen by the whole nation. Basically he is able to walk, he is able to sit, able to go around to the Palace as normal.

       Dr Mohd Shahir: I disagree. As doctors, we have to trust our patient. Unless I don't do anything like MRI or scans.

       DPP Raja Rozela: With all due respect, this is not about you or your treatment. This is really not about you. You are not under cross-examination and I am not questioning your ability.

       The prosecutor also asked the doctor why it took him two days to perform the PIP and not on the day of admission on Sunday (Aug 22) or the very next day.

       Dr Mohd Shahir said he had to stabilise Ahmad Zahid's condition first as the patient was already on medication and a diabetic.

       At one point, Ahmad Zahid's lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal asked the doctor to check the wooden bench in the dock to see if it is suitable for the patient.

       "It is not suitable for patients with back pain to sit on," Dr Mohd Shahir said.

       The doctor suggested that Ahmad Zahid should be given a chair, padded with a cushion.

       The court then ordered for the Sept 6 date to be maintained for submissions.

       Ahmad Zahid is on trial for a total of 47 charges, 12 of which are for criminal breach of trust, eight for bribery and 27 for money laundering involving millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.