The Pardons Board meeting on PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s release will be held on Wednesday, contrary to earlier reports that it would be held tomorrow.

PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil said the party was informed of the matter by the Prime Minister’s Department.

“As such, any programmes related to Anwar’s release are postponed until further notice,” he said in a statement today. 

Anwar was sentenced to a five-year prison term in March 2014 over sodomy charges. He had maintained that the charges against him were a political conspiracy.

He is scheduled for an early release from imprisonment early next month, and is currently recovering from a shoulder surgery at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital.

However, Pakatan Harapan had campaigned not only to secure Anwar’s immediate release from prison but to also secure a full pardon. This would allow him to immediately rejoin politics and contest in elections.

Earlier today, Anwar’s daughter and Permatang Pauh MP-elect Nurul Izzah Anwar had said that Anwar’s lawyers had informed her that the Pardons Board is scheduled to meet at 5pm tomorrow to discuss a royal pardon for Anwar. 

Mahathir had previously said that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V had indicated that he is prepared to grant an immediate pardon to Anwar but the process for obtaining a pardon still needs to be followed. 

Subsequent to Izzah's statement, Fahmi announced that the meeting had been brought forward to 11am tomorrow, and urged supporters to gather outside Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital at 10.30am tomorrow to welcome Anwar’s release.

The party also circulated a poster promoting a rally in Petaling Jaya at 3pm tomorrow in conjunction with Anwar’s release.

Shortly after, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told reporters there may be a slight delay in the pardon process. 

“On our promise to get a pardon for Anwar, it will continue, but the process will be followed.

“Even though it has been agreed, the Pardons Board meet might be slightly delayed because we want to follow the rules,” he said, prompting the latest announcements on plans to celebrate Anwar’s release to be put on hold.