Suresh Gnasegarah's letter states that the purpose of a prison system is to remove a felon from society and force him to repent. I agree with that 100 percent. But Anwar Ibrahim is a special case not because he is an ex-deputy prime minister (sacked or otherwise).

He is a special case because his back injury was severely aggravated while in police custody by the then top police officer in the country, the inspector-general of police himself. This should be taken into account and additional benefits should be allowed to Anwar especially if it concerns his health.

The argument about who should cover the cost of Anwar's endoscopic surgery should only be raised if this issue is used an excuse not to send Anwar overseas as noted by Edmund Burke Fan .

Suresh brings to the fore the usual double standards of a typical Malaysian manner when he raises possible conspiracy theories about Anwar having ties or making deals with the foreign hospitals, clinics etc in order to serve out his jail term over there.

He questions the integrity of Anwar's doctors and the health system of that doctor's country which I am sure ranks way higher than Malaysia in any international corruption ranking. This is itself is a safeguard.

And before I end here, I would like to say that Suresh pointed out to: 'Just ask Mandela and Gandhi.'

I would like to point out somebody on the other side of the divide - Ferdinand Marcos who allowed Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino to go overseas for heart treatment even though the latter was under detention and was his political enemy.