Lawyers formally press for Anwar’s release

They say Prisons Act gives Commissioner General the power to free jailed PKR leader

PETALING JAYA: The lawyers for Anwar Ibrahim who is currently serving a five-year jail term over a sodomy conviction have issued a new formal notice to the government for his release, citing “overwhelming reasons”.

In a statement issued today, N Surendran and Latheefa Koya said they have written to the Home Minister and the Commissioner General of Prisons yesterday to ask for the release under a provision that gives the latter the power to do so.

“We have asked for this under the provisions of Section 43 of the Prisons Act 1995, which allows the Commissioner General to release upon licence any person serving a sentence of imprisonment,” they said.

They pointed out that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had on Sept 15, 2015 declared Anwar’s detention as illegal and called for him to be freed.

“Therefore his continued imprisonment damages the image and reputation of our country in the eyes of the international community,” the lawyers said. “Malaysia is a member state of the UN, and cannot afford to ignore the categorical finding of a UN body.”

They also argued that Anwar is a former deputy prime minister and leader of the opposition, and has an international standing and a world-wide reputation as a progressive Muslim leader.

“As the acknowledged leader of the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, his release is crucial to ensure a proper and healthy democratic process in our country,” the statement said, noting that Anwar has already served more than two years in prison for this conviction.

Anwar, 69, is currently in the Sungai Buloh Prison for sexual misconduct on his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.

On Dec 14 last year the Federal Court dismissed his review application, ruling it had no merit, effectively thwarting the PKR de facto head’s final attempt to use the courts to clear himself of his conviction. -FMT