The Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organisation of Parliaments from 114 countries including Malaysia, has urged the government to allow former prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim to seek medical treatment abroad.

In a resolution which was adopted by the IPU's committee o­n the human rights of parliamentarians at its 100th session, held in Geneva from Jan 20-23, it called o­n the authorities to pay heed to the recommendations by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) that Anwar be allowed to undergo surgery abroad.

On May 31, 2001, Suhakam recommended to the Malaysian government to let Anwar, who is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence and suffering from a chronic back injury, to go overseas for an urgent spinal surgery.

The commission noted that the 1995 Prison Act allowed the prison authorities to release a prisoner o­n licence and that nothing legally prevented Anwar from being sent abroad for medical treatment.

The IPU said it had communicated with Suhakam and that the human rights body in a Jan 13 letter to the international organisation said its stand remained unchanged.

However, Suhakam stressed it had o­nly advisory powers and could not compel the authorities to accept its recommendations.

"Recommendations of a national human rights commission carry special weight and should not be dismissed by the competent authorities," said the IPU resolution, adding the Malaysian Parliament, 'as a guardian of human rights', should give full support to the Suhakam recommendations.

The request for overseas surgery for Anwar has been denied by the government o­n the grounds that the jailed politician might elect not to return to Malaysia.

IPU has also requested its secretary-general Anders B Johnsson to convey its decision to the Malaysian authorities. It vowed to examine the progress of the matter at its next session in April.

Battle to stop resolution

Members of parliament from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition have fought to forestall the adoption of the IPU resolution.

At the IPU council meeting in September last year, members of the Malaysian delegation argued that the decisions and rulings by the government and the courts had been made in conformity with the law.

They also highlighted the case of another member of the ruling party who had been sentenced by the Federal Court.

But that failed to sway the opinions of other MPs who were present at the session. Eventually, the resolution - which also states that the council believes that Anwar's prosecution may well be politically motivated - was adopted.

Anwar was sacked from his posts as deputy prime minister and finance minister in September 1998.

He was later arrested and prosecuted o­n charges of corruption and sodomy and was found guilty o­n both counts and sentenced - in April 1999 and August 2000 respectively - to a total of 15 years' imprisonment.

His appeal against the corruption charge was rejected by Federal Court o­n July 10, 2002, while no date has been set for hearing the appeal against the sodomy conviction and sentence, now before the Court of Appeal.

Out o­n bail

Meanwhile, supporters of the former prime minister are campaigning for his release o­n April 14 when Anwar would have served two-thirds of his sentence for corruption.

It is standard practice that prisoners are released for 'good behaviour' after having completed two-thirds of their jail sentence.

Anwar's lawyers said the ex-politician would apply for bail pending appeal o­n his sodomy conviction and the nine-year jail sentence.