THE Prisons Department has rejected an application by a group of international politicians to visit Anwar Ibrahim in Sg Buloh.

A source said the department did not give a reason as to why it rejected the request by the Progressive Alliance (PA), an international group comprising 140 social democratic political parties.

The PA delegation was represented by four people, including member of the European parliament Neena Gil, who is also a member of the UK’s Labour Party.

In a letter seen by The Malaysian Insight, Sg Buloh Prison director Abd Kadir Rais said only family are given priority to visit Anwar.

“Anwar, for now, is being treated in hospital, and priority is given only to his family. In relation to that, your (PA’s) application to visit is not being considered.”

The former PKR president is undergoing surgery for an injury sustained when the Prisons Department vehicle he was travelling in crashed into another vehicle last September.

Anwar has received visits from Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi since he was hospitalised last November.

In January, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was barred from meeting Anwar at the hospital, with hospital staff saying there are orders “from above” disallowing the visit. – March 20, 2018.