Jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said today he would make a decision soon on whether he will undergo back surgery locally after being refused permission to travel abroad.

Anwar spoke to reporters when he was taken under armed escort to his father's house in a Kuala Lumpur suburb to pay his last respects to his older brother, Mohamad Mokhtar Ibrahim, 57, who died early today.

"We are discussing it with our doctors, and we will announce a decision soon," Anwar said.

The option offered by the government involved major surgery and it was a difficult decision to make but he wanted to get it over with, Anwar said.

The former heir-apparent to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad spent about an hour in his father's house, taking the opportunity to meet members of his family.

Wife not keen

He left in a wheelchair before his brother's body was taken to a nearby cemetary, and was waved off by a few dozen supporters chanting "reformasi", a popular battle cry urging government reforms.

Anwar is serving a total of 15 years in jail after having been convicted of abuse of power and sodomy. He says he was framed to avert a political challenge to Mahathir, an allegation denied by the government.

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who has said her husband's back was injured during an assault while he was in detention, indicated that she was not keen on Anwar having the surgery locally.

The type of operation offered by the government for Anwar's prolapsed disc involved more risks than techniques available in Germany, she said, adding that she would continue pressing the government to allow him to travel abroad. AFP