The slipped disc condition of ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, now serving a jail sentence for sodomy and abuse of power, has deteriorated and is now affecting his neurological functions which in turn could result in paralysis, his wife said today.

Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told a press conference the deterioration came to light when Anwar was examined by a urologist at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (KLGH) on Tuesday after complaining of discomfort when easing himself.

Initially finding nothing wrong, doctors investigated further and discovered that his nervous system had been affected.

"Doctors investigating his discomfort discovered that the cause was not local. There was a neurological disorder caused by the prolapse of a spinal disc.

"My husband's current condition, to put it mildly, is worrying our entire family. Unless urgently treated, the affected nerve might be further damaged. He is under great risk of being permanently paralysed." Wan Azizah told reporters at her home.

Prolapse of the spinal disc refers to the protrusion of the disc between the spinal joints.

Anwar suffered the injury during a horse riding accident in 1996 and had claimed that it was aggravated after he was blindfolded and beaten by then-police chief Rahim Noor in September 1998.

Kidney problems

Wan Azizah, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president, added that some three weeks ago, her husband had to be administered an injection to relieve the severe pain in his back..

"The attacks have become more severe than any he had experienced since the last time he was warded in the hospital," Wan Azizah said.

Anwar was taken to the hospital on Monday after he complained of kidney problems for the first time, after he reported to his lawyers that his urine contained blood.

Wan Azizah reiterated her call to the government to allow her husband to travel to the AlphaKlinik in Germany for an endoscopic surgery to be done on him - a request which had been endorsed by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.

However the government has repeatedly denied him the permission, claiming that Malaysia had good enough surgeons who could perform the operation for him.

Appeal to PM

"We have been given reassurances but our experience has been that even when his safety was assured after he was arrested, he was still assaulted ," Wan Azizah said.

Wan Azizah appealed to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to allow Anwar to be taken to Germany for back surgery on humanitarian grounds.

"For him to regain his health, which is the fundamental human right of every human being, he needs comprehensive medical treatment, including surgery in Germany," Wan Azizah said.

Anwar is serving a seven-year jail sentence for sodomy at the Sungai Buloh prison in Selangor. He has already completed a seven-year sentence for corruption which began in 1999. His final appeal against the sodomy conviction has been heard by the Federal Court which said it will hand down a judgement soon.