Dr Mahathir-Anwar meeting ‘would have been controversial’

Kamles Kumar Kamles Kumar Updated 6 years ago · Published on 11 Jan 2018 10:55AM · 3 Comments

Dr Mahathir Mohamad failed to meet opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Cheras rehabilitation centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Accompanying the Pakatan Harapan chairman is Anwar’s daughter, Nurul izzah (in white tudung). – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 11, 2018.

FEAR of controversy prompted the Prisons Department to bar Dr Mahathir Mohamad from visiting opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in hospital yesterday, its director-general, Zulkifli Omar, said today.

He said Dr Mahathir did not apply formally to visit Anwar and the officer in charge of Sungai Buloh prison was worried that there would be negative implications from the visit. 

“The decision is the jurisdiction of the officer in charge of the Sungai Buloh prison. There was a worry from the prison itself, if we allowed them to meet, it might have been controversial. 

“We are also worried about the safety and threats faced. There was a worry that this issue will also become viral,” Zulkifli said in a press conference in Putrajaya today. 

He clarified that Anwar’s previous visitors, including Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, had applied via formal channels. 

“In the past, when he (Anwar) received visitors, formal applications were made. According to Section 22 of the Prisons Act, when a prisoner is in a hospital, it is still like he is in prison.

“Therefore, he remains governed by prison rules, and any approval for visits can only be given by the prison.

“Family members are allowed to visit prisoners in the hospital. However, other visitors require special permission.”

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also home minister, denied the ban was politically motivated and purely under the discretion of the prisons. 

“The decision did not come from the minister. On operational matters, I give my full trust towards the departments under the Home Ministry.”

Dr Mahathir yesterday was barred from meeting Anwar at the Cheras rehabilitation centre after staff told him that there were orders from above not to allow him in.

Dr Mahathir was on Sunday announced as the opposition prime minister candidate and this was to have been his first visit to the PKR de facto leader.

Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, also questioned the Prisons Department’s logic in stopping Dr Mahathir but allowing Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Aziz to meet Anwar last year. – January 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • En Zulkifli Omar is not a very good liar. He appears to be more of a crony that made a bad lie for his master. We worked with a similar "Quek Liar". Whenever he opens his mouth - we stepped aside to avoid being drowned by his filthy lies & garbage. Our company suffer low agency morale, massive losses, declining sales and unsolicited sexual assault on female staffs/agents. Read more at changenow083.blogspot.com

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply

  • Hahaha... terima kasih En Zulkifli, you baru buat saya jatuh tergelak ketawa dari kerusi

    Posted 6 years ago by Jimmy Bong · Reply

  • I don't know whether this SOP is being practiced religiously or not. Still remember not long ago, our PM visited Anwar in hospital on 17 Nov 17 (ref https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/11/17/najib-and-wife-visit-anwar-in-hospital/). Was the SOP being followed too? May be there is another clause (fine print) that not being disclosed yet. Hence, I can only comment correctly after reading the full SOP.

    Posted 6 years ago by Shiaw Loh · Reply