The prisons department has agreed to allow jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim to conduct his daughter's akad nikah (wedding vow) ceremony at his Damansara home in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, o­n the condition there are no objections from the police.

Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair told malaysiakini today that a prison official informed him this morning that the department has no problem in sending the jailed ex-deputy premier to attend the wedding of his eldest daughter Nurul Izzah and engineer Raja Ahmad Sharir Iskandar Raja Salim tomorrow.

Anwar is serving 15-years jail sentence for sodomy and corruption.

"However, the official said that the police must give them the green light first. If the police have no objections, then there will be no problem o­n the prisons department side," said Sankara.

Sankara believed the police's top consideration would be security.

Undertaking

"We have given our undertaking that there would not be a huge crowd as the guests would o­nly comprise of family members," he said,

The ceremony was initially fixed for tomorrow at 9am but had to be rescheduled to 4pm after the Court of Appeal had fixed the same time and date to hear Anwar's fresh applications for bail and stay of execution.

Nurul Izzah had earlier expressed her wish for her father to conduct the akad nikah ceremony which has been set for tomorrow afternoon at their home in Damansara.

Sankara said the court case would proceed tomorrow morning as scheduled by the Court of Appeal and anticipated that the arguments would conclude by 12 noon.

This, he said, would give prison officials ample time to send Anwar to his house in Damansara Heights for the wedding

Meanwhile, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang and PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar said that denying Anwar's request would o­nly reflect badly o­n the authorities as he (Anwar) o­nly wanted to be present to perform his fatherly duties.

Lim said to deny the request would also confirm the public's perception that not o­nly Anwar has been persecuted but is also subjected to the authorities' harsh and heartless treatment.

Precedents

"There have been precedents in the past where permission is given to allow the detainee to be with loved o­nes o­n special family events. This has been practiced by the authorities for years."

"I remember as far back as 1969 when I was detained at the Muar detention centre, another detainee Hamid Tuah was allowed to leave the centre to attend a family gathering. I think similar discretion should be exercised by the authorities in favour of Anwar," Lim said when contacted today.

He added that the issue should not be treated o­n a political, but humanitarian, platform.

"I am also confident that Anwar's family would not politicise his presence at home," Lim said.

Similarly Mahfuz too urged the authorities not to treat the request as a political issue but rather address it like just another request by a daughter to have her father, who is imprisoned, to give her away.

Menwhile, Anwar's brother, Rosli Ibrahim said that the family has already made arrangements to control the crowd during the wedding, especially if Anwar's request is allowed.

"We also have relayed the message to reformasi supporters to respect the event and help us to ensure that everything is proper. Food would be provided for everyone outside the house but we have to be strict o­n entrance into the house," he said.

Weekend celebration

"If the police do not allow Anwar to come home to marry his daughter off, then they would have to decide the venue. Maybe the Sungai Buloh prison or elsewhere. Of course, we may or may not accept the authorities' decision."

"At worst, the kenduri kahwin would be converted to a normal kenduri and doa selamat (thanksgiving prayers)," he said.

He also informed that apart from the akad nikah on Friday, the family intends to celebrate the wedding with their family and friends o­n Saturday and Sunday.