The Malaysian Insight

JAILED Pakatan Harapan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim does not need hospitalisation as he sustained only a slight injury after an accident on Friday, said Health Deputy Director-General Dr Jeyaindran Sinnathurai.

“I examined him yesterday and he is stable. Tomorrow, he may be taken to hospital or an orthopaedic specialist will visit him today in prison.

“His condition is not that serious. Depending on what the specialist says, maybe Anwar will be taken to hospital for an X-ray or any other necessary treatment.

“As of now, he does not need hospitalisation,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Anwar was hospitalised at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) from Wednesday to Friday for unstable blood pressure.

While en route to Sungai Buloh prison, where he is serving five years for sodomy, the car transporting him met with an accident at a traffic light junction near Saujana Utama.

It was reported that the prison officer driving the car carrying Anwar had to brake sharply to avoid an oncoming vehicle, and the escort car behind them knocked into them in the 12.30pm incident.

The car carrying Anwar was damage in the back.

He was reported to be shaken by the accident, but not seriously injured.

Dr Jeyaindran, the consultant attending to Anwar, said the latter experienced stiffness in his neck muscle and arm following the accident.

He said Anwar, who was already receiving complete medical treatment, would get regular check-ups.

“The doctor checks on him in prison daily. This morning, I was told that he was stable and his wife (Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) will be visiting him today.

“In prison, there are also hospital beds and adequate facilities. If he needs to see a specialist, he will be taken to hospital, but for the time being, it is not necessary.”

Following the accident, Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, who is Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president, had requested for her father to be sent to hospital for a thorough medical examination.

Earlier today, Dr Wan Azizah told reporters in Guar Perahu, Permatang Pauh, that she had informally requested for an orthopaedic specialist to see her husband, but she had yet to hear if it would be approved or whether Anwar would be taken to HKL tomorrow.

“I saw him on Friday. The impact from the accident hit the right side of his neck. He was given an injection for the pain immediately.

“His neck is a bit swollen after three days. He is also experiencing pain in his back and shoulder.

“His back problem had been bothering him, and the shoulder pain is from an old injury. He needs physiotherapy for his back and a shoulder replacement.

“I was told that his blood pressure would be monitored, and he has been given medicine,” she said after witnessing the launch of a newly renovated futsal court.

Otherwise, she said, Anwar remained in good spirits and was holding up well.

“He always asks about what is happening out here, like how the GST (goods and services tax) is affecting the people.”

The parliamentary opposition leader and Pakatan Harapan president said the Prisons Department was investigating the accident.

“I was told that there is an inquiry into what happened to the convoy. It was dangerous. What was the cause of the incident?

“We have to think about safety. Sungai Buloh (prison) and the hospital are quite a distance apart.

“Usually, they have outriders, but I don’t think there was one that day (when the accident happened).” – September 24, 2017.