Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, today expressed concern over the jailed politician's worsening condition due to a back injury.

She told reporters this morning that Anwar's mobility was severely restricted and that he was in pain most of the time.

"At the last family visit, he was in a wheelchair. This time due to the swelling of his hands and legs as a result of the anti-inflammatory drugs.

"He shifts uncomfortably from time to time. Even though he tries not to show (his discomfort) in front of the children, I suspect that he is actually enduring a lot of pain," Wan Azizah said after filing two petitions of appeal on behalf of her husband at the Court of Appeal registry in Kuala Lumpur. Present was Anwar's lawyer, Sankara Nair.

She added that Anwar lay in bed most of the time and moved around very cautiously as any sudden movement could cause an 'emergency situation'.

Sankara, who visited him at the Sungai Buloh prison on Monday, also said that Anwar suffered from severe pain.

"He told me that the pain is always there. It is only brought under control when he takes medication. He can move around only in his room," Sankara said.

He regretted that Anwar was not receiving the treatment that was promised to him.

"He is not getting the full treatment despite our complaints. He has a physician visiting him only once in a while," Sankara said.

Reminder letter

Sankara also told reporters that Anwar will send a letter of reminder to Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a follow-up to an appeal letter he sent last month requesting Abdullah to review a decision by Prisons Department director-general Omar Muhammad.

Anwar's family sent the letter of appeal to Abdullah on June 27 requesting a review of Omar's rejection of an application by the former politician to be temporarily released to undergo spinal surgery at a specialist spinal clinic in Munich, Germany.

Sankara said he received a reply to the appeal letter from the Home Ministry three weeks ago acknowledging that the letter had been received and the matter was under consideration.

"But I have not heard anything since. I have discussed it with Dato Seri (Anwar) and we will be sending a letter of reminder to the Home minister.

"The reason is we can't apply for a court order unless we have exhausted all appeals and the final appeal rests with the minister," said Sankara.

Anwar has been in custody since September 1998 and is serving a 15-year sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison in Selangor for abuse of power and sodomy.

British support

He was admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital last November with a slipped disc and moved back to prison on May 10 after he rejected the government's offer of spinal surgery at the Kuala Lumpur general hospital.

Anwar insisted he has a right to a less risky endoscopic spinal operation at the Alpha Klinik in Munich. However, the government has rejected his request to seek the surgery overseas.

Meanwhile, the British House of Commons has endorsed the position of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) that Anwar be allowed his right to medical treatment of his choice and overseas travel for medical care, as provided for by the United Nations Patient's Charter.

The Lower House motion was proposed by Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Jeremy Corbyn last Friday and is supported by seven other British MPs.

They also urged the Malaysian government to facilitate Anwar's surgery as a matter of urgency.