Mr Anwar said in an accompanying affidavit that he had not been given a fair trial.

He said he had "grave apprehension that the learned judge might not bring an impartial and unprejudiced mind with respect to the issues and matters before him".

Justice Paul's verdict is expected soon

He said his lawyers had been precluded from presenting his case in full and the judge had used "different standards" for defence and prosecution when determining whether evidence could be used.

"We are not trying to delay the trial. We are just trying to get justice," Mr Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Ismail, told reporters at a news conference to present the application.

Mr Anwar's lawyers said they were taking a risk in filing the application because of Malaysia's strict laws on contempt of court.

The application will be heard, at least initially, by the judge involved - Augustine Paul.

Gripping trial nears end

Mr Anwar's five-month trial on four counts of misusing his power to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct is drawing to a close.

Mr Anwar's arrest sparked unprecedented anti-government protests

On Monday, the defence team closed its case when the judge ruled it could not call its last 10 witnesses. After the ruling, Mr Anwar told reporters he expected to be convicted and jailed.

Earlier, the judge ruled that evidence of a political conspiracy against Mr Anwar was irrelevant to the charges against him.

Among the witnesses were three men who have said they were subjected to mental and physical pressure while in police custody to confess to sodomy with Mr Anwar.

Mahathir 'surprised'

Commenting on the case in a recent television interview, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed said he was surprised by accusations that the trial was not fair.

He said that if this was not a fair trial then he did not know what was.

Meanwhile, Mr Anwar's former political secretary has said he intends to form a new party headed by his former boss.

Mohamed Ezam Mohamed Nor, who has returned to Malaysia from self-imposed exile, said Mr Anwar could lead such a party even if he was in prison.

Mr Ezam told the BBC he had discussed the new party with members of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and there was support for it within senior levels of the party.