PETALING JAYA: Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed today dismissed US lawyer Kimberly Motley as a “stranger”, after she said she wanted to meet him over denial of access to jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“What for? Ask Anwar’s family whether she has been appointed as the official lawyer to him. And does she have a license to practice law in Malaysia? I don’t meet strangers,” he told FMT.
Earlier today, Motley had said she was ready to meet Nur Jazlan over the denial of access to meet Anwar.
The human rights lawyer has been representing Anwar on a pro bono basis since Sept 7, and had told FMT that she had been able to visit him in prison on her last trip to Malaysia in recognition of his right to legal counsel.
This time around, she was not allowed to meet Anwar, and Motley criticised Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the denial.
Nur Jazlan then hit back at her, calling her “rude and arrogant” for questioning Malaysia’s prison regulations.
On Dec 13, Motley and Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad issued a statement urging Putrajaya to release Anwar because “his current medical state is of concern to his family, friends, and people around the world”.
Anwar, 70, is serving a five-year jail sentence after being convicted for sodomy. He is currently in hospital undergoing long-term medical treatment. -FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.