Malaysian Opposition Leader's Condition Worsening in Jail
JAKARTA, July 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on Wednesday expressed concern over the jailed politician's worsening condition due to a back injury.
She told reporters that Anwar's mobility was severely restricted and that he was in pain most of the time.
"At the last family visit, he was in a wheelchair due to the swelling of his hands and legs as a result of the anti-inflammatory drugs.
"He shifts uncomfortably from time to time. Even though he tries not to show [his discomfort] in front of the children, I suspect that he is actually enduring a lot of pain," Wan Azizah said after filing two petitions of appeal on behalf of her husband at the Court of Appeal registry in Kuala Lumpur.
She added that Anwar lay in bed most of the time and moved around very cautiously as any sudden movement could cause an "emergency situation".
Anwar's lawyer, Sankara Nair, who visited him at the Sungai Buloh prison on Monday, also said that Anwar is suffering from severe pain.
"He told me that the pain is always there. It is only brought under control when he takes medication. He can move around only in his room," Sankara said.
He regretted that Anwar was not receiving the treatment promised him.
"He is not getting the full treatment despite our complaints. He has a physician visiting him only once in a while," Sankara said.
Sankara also told reporters that Anwar will send a letter of reminder to Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a follow-up to an appeal letter he sent last month requesting Abdullah to review a decision by Prisons Department director-general Omar Muhammad. Badawi, however, said on Thursday that he did not see any letter from the jailed leader.
Anwar's family sent the letter of appeal to Abdullah on June 27th requesting a review of the Prison Department's rejection of an application by Ibrahim to be temporarily released to undergo spinal surgery at a specialist spinal clinic in Munich, Germany.
Sankara said he received a reply to the appeal letter from the Home Ministry three weeks ago acknowledging that the letter had been received and the matter was under consideration.
"But I have not heard anything since. I have discussed it with Ibrahim and we will be sending a letter of reminder to the Home minister.
"The reason is we can't apply for a court order unless we have exhausted all appeals and the final appeal rests with the minister," Sankara said.
Anwar has been in custody since September 1998 and is serving a 15-year sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison in Selangor for abuse of power and sodomy.
