The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya was told on 4 November 2026 that prosecutors had still not physically served their appeal notice on former political aide Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who is in the United Kingdom.[1] Deputy Public Prosecutor How May Ling said authorities in the United Kingdom and Ireland had failed to trace Yusoff or serve the notice despite a request for Interpol assistance.[1] She said prosecutors were told last month that tracing had failed and the authorities had no information about his asylum application, during case management before judges Azman Abdullah, Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and K. Muniandy.[1] Prosecutors are appealing the High Court decision that acquitted Yusoff of cannabis trafficking and possessing imitation pistols without calling his defence.[1] The prosecution sought another case-management date to continue tracing and service and asked for Zoom proceedings so Yusoff could appear online to confirm his presence in the United Kingdom.[1]

Judge Azman Abdullah refused an exception for Zoom, saying the criminal respondent must attend court physically and the court did not want to create an unnecessary precedent.[1] He said if prosecutors trace Yusoff they should bring him before the court and asked counsel to advise him to return to Malaysia.[1] Defence counsel Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali accepted that physical service is required under Section 314 of the Criminal Procedure Code but said his client had not fled and is in the United Kingdom seeking asylum.[1] The court fixed 3 February 2027 as the next case-management date.[1]

On 12 June 2025 High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin had acquitted Yusoff, then 33, after finding prosecutors failed to prove a prima facie case.[1] The court found prosecutors failed on witness evidence to prove the accused had control, custody and possession of the drugs and pistols.[1] Yusoff had been charged with trafficking 305 grams of cannabis in a vehicle in front of the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters surau at 10.15am on 6 September 2024.[1] The trafficking charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 carried a maximum of life imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane on conviction.[1] He was also charged with possessing imitation pistols by a roadside near a condominium on Jalan Bukit Kiara at 9.25am the same day under Section 36(1) of the Arms Act 1960.[1]