(Sept 9): Lawyers for former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today asked why the Home Ministry was limiting access to their client, who is serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomy.

Counsel N. Surendran said Anwar's lawyers were only allowed to meet him for an hour a week.

Surendran, who is also Padang Serai MP, said limited access was illogical as Anwar has 16 criminal and civil cases pending in court.

"These actions have interfered with the smooth running of proceedings in court due to the difficulty in taking instructions, preparing, affirming and filing of court documents," he said at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Surendran said prior to this, lawyers were allowed to meet Anwar twice a week, with each session lasting two hours.

Also present was Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, who is also PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP.

Surendran said two days ago, Sungai Buloh prison authorities decided to choose which lawyer could meet Anwar.

"This is a serious breach of Anwar's right to choose his lawyers and have access to them.

We demand that lawyers be allowed access as and when required to take instructions without arbitrary restrictions and obstacles placed by home ministry and prison department." he added.

He said there was no justification for such action.

“It is the undeniable and basic right of every prisoner to have full and reasonable access to legal counsel and to be able to file cases in court where necessary," he added.

Also present were former Bar Council chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and lawyer Latheefa Koya.

Surendran said the matter would also be brought to the attention of the council for gross interference by the authorities to prevent Anwar to have adequate legal counsel.

“We view this action to be in bad faith and an uncalled for harassment of Anwar and his lawyers," he said.

Surendran urged Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to ensure the prison authorities were more responsible in making sure Anwar's rights were not violated.

Meanwhile, Nurul said restriction occurred after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak gave assurance through tweeter that the health and prison condition of her father would be looked into.

Anwar, 68, began his jail term on February 10 this year after the country’s apex court upheld an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that reversed his acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar had also spent time in jail between September 21, 1998 and September 2, 2004 for abuse of power and sodomising his wife's driver Azizan Abu Bakar.

However, he was freed of the alleged misconduct in 2004 by the Federal Court in majority ruling. – The Malaysian Insider