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Malaysia's Anwar At Bedside As Mother Dies
KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (News Agencies) - The mother of jailed Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim died Tuesday in hospital with Anwar at her bedside.
Anwar arrived at University Hospital at 7pm, escorted by more than a dozen prison officers, after prison authorities authorized his visit.
His mother, Che Yan Binti Hamid Hussin, 74, died about 90 minutes later, Anwar's lawyer, Sankara Nair, told AFP.
Nair said Che Yan, who had suffered a heart attack Tuesday morning, was not conscious when Anwar arrived.
"He was very distressed," Nair said. "It is the first time I have seen him break down."
The funeral is set for Wednesday morning and Nair said prison authorities were expected to allow Anwar to attend.
The ex-deputy premier, sacked by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in September 1998, is serving a 15-year jail term for abuse of power and sodomy but considers himself a political prisoner.
He has been in a separate hospital since November 25th with acute back pain due to a slipped disc and arrived at University Hospital in Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur in a wheelchair.
Nair said a large crowd of supporters and family members were at the hospital.
They included Fadzil Noor, president of the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia; Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the Democratic Action Party; Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar's wife and president of the National Justice Party; and Syed Husin Ali, president of the Malaysian People's Party.
Anwar's father was also at the hospital, as were the politician's children.
In November 1999 Anwar, 53, was allowed out of jail to attend the funeral of his elder brother, who died of cancer.
Opposition parties at the time criticized the government for refusing to let him visit his brother while he was ill.
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