Jailed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s health is at a “worrying” level as the 67-year-old’s blood pressure has dropped significantly while under incarceration at Sungai Buloh Prison.

Anwar’s blood pressure is currently at 87 over 50, according to his second daughter Nurul Nuha Anwar.

What is worse, Nurul Nuha said, is that her father has lost 3kg in weight after being imprisoned for merely one month.

“We are very concerned about his health,” she told Malaysiakini after paying a second visit to Anwar at the prison yesterday. 

The average normal blood pressure for adults should be between 120 over 80 to 140 over 90.

“He doesn’t have access to all his supplements, vitamins, for example,” Nurul Nuha lamented, adding that despite Anwar being placed in the hospital wing, the living conditions were “very hot and humid”.

Thus, the family will raise these issues with the head of the prison’s hospital panel.

 

In good spirits

Nevertheless, she said, Anwar appeared to be in “very high spirits” and “joyful” during the 45-minute family visit, despite his poor health status.

“He was talking a lot (with the family),” said Nurul Nuha.

Even after being incarcerated, Anwar still gets updates on current affairs through his lawyers, and he stressed “the reform agenda must go on”, she said.

“For the Kita Lawan rally, he is very proud of Malaysians for standing up against injustice, and (of the fact that) it was initiated by the anak muda (younger generation),” added Nurul Nuha.

The Federal Court on Feb 10 rejected Anwar's appeal on his Sodomy II conviction and upheld the five-year jail sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal.

 

The Appeal Court conviction came after the government appealed a 2012 High Court acquittal in a two-day hearing, just before the Kajang by-election, a move that Anwar had planned to place himself in the Selangor government.