Indonesian-born Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja, currently serving a six-year jail sentence for two sodomy-related charges involving ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, is said to be suffering from "acute stress ulcer".

His lawyer Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin told malaysiakini that stress had worsened Sukma's problems with gastritis to the point that he had to seek specialist treatment at the Kajang Hospital on Oct 20.

"He has been worrying about the slow pace of his appeals (against the conviction and for bail, to be heard on Oct 8-10 at the Court of Appeal). On top of this, he has been harassed by an inmate...so it has been difficult for him, " said the lawyer when contacted.

Declining to reveal the nature and details of the alleged harassment, Shamsul said he had informed prison officials about the matter and had been assured that the situation would be resolved.

"I hope they will settle this soon. Although I am grateful that the prison authorities eventually referred Sukma to a medical specialist, I am disappointed it took them quite some time to do so... Sukma was suffering gastric pains for two weeks before he was taken to the hospital," he said.

"Even that happened only after I personally met the prison's deputy commissioner and threatened to go to the media if they did not act quickly."

'Inmate transferred'

A relative of Sukma said the prison authorities have since acted on the harassment complaint by transferring the inmate concerned to another section.

"They found out that Sukma's complaint had basis. We are happy that the matter had been sorted out," said the relative, who requested anonymity.

Meanwhile, Anwar's eldest daughter Nurul Izzah, who visited Sukma at the Kajang prison last week, expressed disappointment about the authorities' lackadaisical attitude in providing her adopted uncle with appropriate medical treatment. Sukma is Anwar's adopted brother.

"Sukma told me that officials had ignored his plea to be sent to hospital after the regular medication proved ineffective. If they had acted earlier, things may have not become this bad," she claimed.

"He looked so terrible that I also had to console my two younger sisters, Iman and Hana, who were with me - they were crying. We are very close to him as he has been like a second parent to us...it was so difficult for us to see him in pain."

On April 18, the Court of Appeal revoked Sukma's bail and ordered him to serve his jail sentence after rejecting his and Anwar's appeals against their conviction and sentence.

Anwar and Sukma have since filed fresh applications for bail, but the court has yet to announce its decision although the hearing ended in July.

The delay in disposing of the related appeals and bail application has frustrated Anwar, prompting him to send a personal letter to Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

As a result, the Court of Appeal has set Dec 8-10 to hear Anwar and Sukma's application to re-open their bail application and to review the earlier requests for bail.