Anwar Ibrahim should be able to walk unaided in three weeks, said his personal physician, neurosurgeon Dr Halili Rahmat, who had accompanied the former deputy premier to Munich, Germany for his surgery.

But he stressed that being able to walk does not mean Anwar has fully recovered from the minimal invasive surgery conducted last Monday to treat his back pain, which was diagnosed as "lumbar canal stenosis".

"It will take at least two to three months for him to fully recover from the surgery. But I have seen improvements ever since the surgery was conducted. I believe that if all goes well, he will be spending Ramadhan (Muslim fasting month) with us in much better health," he told reporters today. Halili returned home from Germany on Saturday.

Ramadhan is expected to begin on Oct 15. Malaysiakini has earlier reported that Anwar will be going to Mecca for his umrah (pilgrimage) before returning home.

Anwar left for Munich on Sept 4, three days after the Federal Court quashed his conviction and nine-year jail sentence for a sodomy offence.

Last Monday, he underwent an almost two-hour surgery performed by surgeon Dr Thomas Hoogland of Alpha Klinik.

No complications

Prior to his freedom, he had been hospitalised in Kuala Lumpur since June 12 for an excruciating back pain which was later diagnosed by Hoogland as spinal stenosis - a narrowing of spaces in the spine that results in pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.

Halili, who assisted Dr Thomas Hoogland in the Sept 6 surgery, also expressed his confidence in Anwar's physiotherapy sessions conducted by the spinal experts in Alpha Klinik.

"The surgery went without complications and he (Anwar) is currently undergoing physiotherapy. The facilities there in Alpha Klinik is fantastic and truly world class."

Asked if the surgery could have been done this country, the neurosurgeon said in Malaysia such minimal invasive surgery is usually done under general anesthetic.

"At Alpha Klinik, the surgery was conducted under local anesthetics. I was amazed myself on the procedure and I had wanted to know how it could be done. But because the anesthetist was a German, we couldn't communicate. Anyway, I am surgeon, not an anesthetist," he said.

"As for the facilities and expertise, I am not saying that we are not good, but to date we have yet to have a place that solely dedicates itself to spine-related diseases. Like myself, I do spine- related surgeries but I don't concentrate in the field so I am not as good as Dr Hoogland."

Anwar a 'degil' patient

Halili was also asked if Anwar's condition was serious as he was said to be able to walk within hours after the surgery.

"Yes, it was very serious. I got calls from people asking me why my patient (Anwar) was already walking. But actually, he still has to be assisted when moving. He is still in pain - he is not pain-free yet. Of course, he is not 100 percent fit. You can't get that, not even in Germany," he said.

He said Anwar had tried to walk on the first day of the surgery despite being told to confine himself to his bed.

"Anwar is a degil (stubborn) patient. For my patients, I would have ordered them to remain in bed for at least five days. Hoogland's order was two days. But he (Anwar) was very persistent, and he insisted on trying to walk. I guess he felt good about the surgery and tak sabar (impatient) to walk."

However, he was not surprise with such attitude as his 10-year experience as Anwar's physician showed that Anwar had always like to push himself to the limits.