Pardons Board rejects Anwar’s petition

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is serving a five-year jail term for sodomy. His lawyers say today, the Pardons Board has rejected Anwar’s petition seeking a royal pardon. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 1, 2015.

The Pardons Board has rejected a petition from jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving a five-year prison term for sodomy, his lawyers said today.

The petition was filed by Anwar's family in February after his sentence was upheld by the Federal Court. There was no immediate comment about the ruling from Malaysia's government, Reuters reported today.

Anwar, who once posed the greatest threat to Malaysia's long-ruling coalition, was found guilty of sodomising a former aide, a charge that he said was a politically motivated attempt to end his career.

On March 27, sources told The Malaysian Insider that the application by Anwar's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah was disposed of on March 16.

However, it is not known whether Anwar, Dr Wan Azizah and Nurul were officially notified.

On the same day, senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh had submitted an affidavit to the court and lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya that the board had disposed of the petition.

He said that an affidavit affirmed by the director-general of the legal division of the Prime Minister’s Department has been sent to the applicants.

The affidavit states that Anwar's custodial sentence should be maintained.

The director-general of the legal division sits on the secretariat of the board, which is chaired by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

This also means that the Permatang Pauh MP seat, which Anwar holds, will soon be declared vacant.

Anwar's last legal option is to file a judicial review with the Federal Court. His lawyers said no decision had been made yet on such an application.

The rejection of the royal pardon came after a series of #KitaLawan rallies organised by PKR after his jailing, although turnout was low at the latest rally last week.

- TMI