mswkt = '''GEOGCS["Egypt Gulf of Suez S-650 TL",DATUM["Egypt_Gulf_of_Suez_S-650_TL",SPHEROID["Helmert 1906",6378200,298.3],TOWGS84[-146.21,112.63,4.05,0,0,0,0]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","4706"]]''' m = mapObj('') m.setWKTProjection(mswkt) lyr = layerObj(m) lyr.setWKTProjection(mswkt)