from mapscript import mapObj,layerObj wkt = '''GEOGCS["GCS_Point_58",DATUM["Point_58",SPHEROID["Clarke_1880_RGS",6378249.145,293.465]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["Degree",0.017453292519943295],AUTHORITY["EPSG","37211"]]''' m = mapObj('') m.setWKTProjection(wkt) lyr = layerObj(m) lyr.setWKTProjection(wkt)