Jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said her husband was not allowed food and holy water the family brought on their last visit to the Sungai Buloh prison.

 

Wan Azizah said when the family visited Anwar last Friday, they brought him  'air zam zam' (holy water from Mecca).

 

"We also brought him dates and honey because he fasts from Mondays to Wednesdays," she said when met in Permatang Pauh last night.

 

"We also brought him air zam zam but they did not allow Anwar to have it. The guards said they were following orders," she explained, stressing this was not part of the prison department's normal procedures.

 

Asked if she would kick up a fuss about this, Wan Azizah simply replied "It's okay. It's their prison."

 

Wan Azizah who is also the Kajang assemblyperson, was on a two-day working visit to Permatang Pauh, which will see a by-election before the end of May.

 

The seat is now left vacant as Anwar's family has failed to obtain a pardon from the Agong to release him.

 

Anwar ( left) has been jailed for 46 days in the Sungai Buloh prison, where he is serving a five year sentence for his second sodomy case.

 

In 1998, Anwar was sacked from his deputy prime minister's post, and from 2000 to 2006, served a six year jail sentence for abuse of power related to his first sodomy charge.

 

Anwar has always maintained his innocence and describe his incarceration as a ploy by his enemies to end his political career, to which Umno and government leaders have denied.

 

"Alhamdullilah", Wan Azizah said, noting that her husband was in good spirits when she met him.

 

"He did not complain but it was not like the first time when we met him. We can see from his face he is not very well," she said.

 

She lamented that 45 minutes was simply insufficient for family visits when they had much to share with Anwar.

 

"As time approaches, the guards would give at least two warnings and after the last call, cart him away just like that, which makes us feel sad," she said.

Vacant seat

Meanwhile, Wan Azizah said Anwar was only recently aware about Parliament speaker Pandikar Amin's decision to declare the Permatang Pauh seat vacant.

 

Pandikar's ( left ) decision followed the Pardons Board's alleged rejection of Anwar's  family's appeal for a royal pardon.

 

The Election Commission has decided to meet on Wednesday to decide on the nomination date, campaign period and polling day of the constituency, which Anwar first represented in 1982.

 

Wan Azizah will mostly likely contest the seat against an Umno candidate.

 

When he was in jail for the first time, Wan Azizah held the seat, but resigned in 2008 to allow Anwar to return to active politics.

 

Wan Azizah said the family is not satisfied with Pandikar's move as the Pardon's Board has yet to send them an official letter about the matter.

 

The Pardons Board's decision to reject the application has however been conveyed to Anwar's lawyers.

 

"One of our MPs asked if the Pardons Board had even convened. So it is difficult for us to accept the decision," Wan Azizah asserted.