Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Medical Treatment: A Rebuttal to claims by D-G of Health

Press Statement:

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Medical Treatment: A Rebuttal to claims by D-G of Health

28 September 2015


We refer to the statement by the DG of Health on 26th September 2015 claiming that the medical professionals are providing all necessary treatment for DSAI.

We strongly disagree. Urgent and essential medical treatment has been unreasonably delayed until the present day.

The D-G of Health claimed that there are 17 experts managing DSAI’s medical treatment. However this is of no avail to DSAI as urgent surgical treatment continues to be delayed. DSAI’s chronic right shoulder injury has worsened and has left him in a state of constant pain. This has been raised by DSAI, his family and lawyers ever since his imprisonment in February 2015.

It was almost 3 months before even an MRI was carried out to ascertain the exact condition of the shoulder, despite repeated pleas for treatment by DSAI. Since then the panel of doctors have told DSAI that surgery is required to the right shoulder. Despite more requests and pleas by DSAI’s family and lawyers, he has yet to be taken to hospital for the surgical procedure.

The D-G of Health claimed that a senior physiotherapist has been assigned to him. However, DSAI only received physiotherapy about once a month and even this was at the prison itself where there are no proper facilities for physiotherapy to be carried out effectively. He should be taken several times a week to the hospital for intensive physiotherapy as recommended by the orthopaedic specialist.

Now with his worsening condition, surgery has become essential.

The DG now claims that they are allowing an orthopaedic consultant chosen by DSAI’s family to give a second opinion. However this request was made much earlier by DSAI and family, and has never been allowed to date.

Why this unexplained delay?

We note that although 17 experts are said to be involved, the person in charge remains Tan Sri Dr S.Jeyaindran. Dr Jeyaindran was also a prosecution witness against DSAI in the sodomy prosecution.

What is equally worrying is that the Minister in charge has again appointed Dr S.Jeyaindran to examine DSAI now, when he is the very the same physician consultant who was involved in treating DSAI in 2003 during his then imprisonment. Even back then, DSAI had complained about the lack of adequate medical treatment for his back problem. Those complaints were very real because DSAI was flown immediately to Munich for complex surgery on his back upon his release in September 2004.

We therefore demand on behalf of DSAI and his family that:-

1. Dr S Jeyaindran be removed as the leader of the panel of experts and as DSAI’s physician;
2. That DSAI be warded immediately, and allowed to consult the orthopaedic surgeon of his choice and that the surgery be carried out promptly.

Issued by,

Sivarasa Rasiah
N Surendran
Latheefa Koya

Lawyers for Anwar Ibrahim