Jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim has expressed disappointment with the Federal Court's failure to deliver an early judgment on his sodomy appeal since the delay has a bearing on his deteriorating health condition.

In a letter to Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, sent via his lawyer Sankara Nair yesterday, Anwar said it was unfair that the court had yet to set a date for decision after an eleventh hour postponement on July 22.

When contacted, the lawyer said Anwar was "upset that the matter had been delayed for no apparent reason".

"He must decide on the treatment (of his back pain) within a week (the time frame given by the authorities) and felt that he should make the decision after the outcome of his appeal is known," he said.

This is because in the event his appeal is granted, Anwar, who is suffering from serious spinal complications, would be free to seek the treatment of his choice - a surgery in Germany.

The government, which has steadfastly refused to allow him to go abroad, has insisted that he has the surgery here.

Anwar is appealing against his nine years jail sentence for a sodomy offence involving the former driver of his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Corruption review

Meanwhile, Sankara (left) said another letter was sent to Ahmad Fairuz asking him to explain why there will not be a five-member panel of judges, as promised earlier, to hear Anwar's review against his corruption conviction.

The review is fixed for Aug 10.

"My client wants to know why the court could not fulfill the promise it made when they postponed the matter last year.

"We were informed that they could not do so as most of the Federal Court judges had heard Anwar's case. My client cannot accept such reasoning considering that there are many other judges at the Federal Court and Court of Appeal that have never heard his case," said the lawyer.

Sankara expressed hope that Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, who had made the request, would support Anwar on this.

Anwar filed the application in August 2002, seeking leave from the country's highest court to review its own decision, which upheld the April 14, 1999 High Court verdict finding him guilty of corruption.

While there is no other avenue for appeal against a decision by the Federal Court, aggrieved parties can apply to the same court for a review of its own decision under a new set of judges.

Former chief justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, Sabah and Sarawak Chief judge Steve Shim and Justice Haidar Mohd Nor (now the Chief Judge of Malaya) had then backed the decision by the High Court to sentence Anwar to six years' jail for corrupt practice.