World MPs ask Dr M to let Anwar go for surgery abroad
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.
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