PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has lamented that she and her family are not being allowed to visit her husband Anwar Ibrahim on the first day of Hari Raya Aidilifitri celebrations.

 

She said the family used to be able to do so on the first or second day of Hari Raya during Anwar’s previous stint in prison, but are now told that “much has changed” in the prison’s guidelines.

 

“We have asked to see Anwar on Hari Raya tomorrow, but it was not allowed and I was told that ‘on the first and second day of Hari Raya, we (prison officials) will be on holiday’,” said Wan Azizah last night.

 

“(The authorities said), ‘On the third and fourth day, there will be many (visitors). There are 5,000 inmates here, many family members will be coming,’ so we should come on the fifth or sixth day.

 

“We are saddened by this […] but never mind. What is important is the spirit of Ramadan al-mubarak (Ramadan, the blessed month), and now coming to Aidilfitri - a day of victory,” she said yesterday, while noting that many other inmates will also face this problem.

 

She was speaking to some 150 supports who gathered outside Sungai Buloh prison last night to show support for the jailed former opposition leader in conjunction with Hari Raya celebrations.

 

Wan Azizah said Anwar’s lawyers are still working to ask the prison for an earlier visit.

 

Speaking to reporters after the event, Anwar’s eldest daughter Nurul Izzah said that her younger brother Muhammad Ihsan will be on a flight back to the US where he works on the fourth day of Hari Raya, which is next Monday.

 

Therefore if the visit is to take place on the fifth or sixth day, he would miss the chance to visit his father.

 

Sivarasa: Doctors not helping

 

Meanwhile, Anwar’s lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah told Anwar’s supporters that the former Permatang Pauh MP’s health is still worrying, and slammed government doctors for allegedly conspiring to add to his misery.

 

“Anwar’s health is still worrying. We (the lawyers) visited him a few days ago after he was released from hospital on Sunday. It is clear that he still needs treatment.

 

“Unfortunately, there are doctors in the Ministry of Health who have colluded with this cruel regime and decided that Anwar would be sent back to prison and his treatment would be discontinued,” he told the crowd.

 

He said Anwar has an old injury on his right shoulder that still needs medical attention, as well as regular medical checkups.

 

“But I wish to mention here that Anwar kept telling us not to worry about his health.

 

“For him what is more important - and he keeps emphasising this whenever we visit - is the struggle of the people for a more transparent democracy and a far better Malaysia,” he added.

 

Anwar is said to have received physiotherapy during his previous medical visit to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, as well as a CT scan on his kidney. His blood pressure had also been monitored.

 

He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence of allegedly sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, but claims the charge was a political conspiracy against him.

 

He had previously served a prison sentence from 1999 to 2004 for another sodomy charge and for corruption, but the sodomy charge was later overturned.