(July 3): The president of Liberal International (LI), the world federation of liberal and progressive democratic political parties, has yet to hear from Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi on his request to meet jailed former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, despite making the request on Monday.

Dr Juli Minoves said that he was here as mandated by LI, which passed a resolution in Zurich two weeks ago to look in on Anwar, especially given concerns about his  deteriorating health.

"I am mandated by the organisation I represent, which in turn represents over 100 political parties.

"I am here to express the support of his political family from the world over, so in the name of democracy, I should not be barred from visiting a prisoner, especially one so prominent and esteemed," Minoves said at a specially held press conference today.

He said an email was also sent to the prisons director this morning stating his intention to meet Anwar, along with the letter sent to the home minister on Monday, but has yet to hear from either party.

Minoves pointed out that the Inter Parliamentary Union was granted access to Anwar in prison two days ago and as such, LI should be accorded the same treatment.

He also said that he was willing to return to Malaysia during his tour of Asia in a few weeks to meet Anwar if it was not possible to meet his this time around, adding that this has been noted to the home minister in their letter.

Minoves leaves Malaysia for his tour on Sunday.

According to Minoves, Anwar was one of their main speakers during LI's congress in Cairo in 2009, and Anwar's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had  addressed its executive committee meeting last month and presented her husband's case to the global liberal community.

"We are concerned about his imprisonment and took note that it was done for political reasons.

"It's normal process of justice to see a prisoner, especially someone like Anwar who is highly esteemed by the international community and respected for his work and dedication to the people of Malaysia," he said.

Meanwhile, PKR vice president N. Surendran said that there should be no unnecessary restrictions on global leaders who want to visit Anwar to show their concern, adding that there was nothing in the law to bar access.

"We have been disappointed for a while now by the way authorities have acted by limited visits to only family and lawyers.

"Many others have been denied access, when this should not be the case," he added.

He urged the government to remedy the situation and view seriously the concerns shows by the global community over the treatment and jailing of Anwar.

On Tuesday, Anwar's lawyers raised concerns over his health, saying that he must be transferred to house arrest with access to regular medical care.

Anwar has reportedly lost 6kg since the start of his jail sentence for sodomy in February, and also has irregular blood pressure, a 4cm growth on the kidney, gastritis, chronic arthritis and a shoulder muscle tear, his lawyer R. Sivarasa had said.

His worsening health was revealed in a medical evaluation at Kuala Lumpur Hospital in a two-day visit earlier this month.

Anwar began a five-year prison sentence on February 10, when the Federal Court quashed his appeal and upheld his conviction for sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008. – The Malaysian Insider