Court dismisses Anwar’s bid for physical contact during prison visits
(MMO) – The High Court today dismissed PKR fe facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to be allowed physical contact with his family and visitors while receiving prison visits.
High Court judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamed said that denial of contact visits by prison authorities was based on discretion that is provided for by existing laws, and the denials were not arbitrary or unreasonable as argued by Anwar’s lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya.
As such, she dismissed applications for both certiorari and mandamus orders to the prison authorities to allow contact visits, and ordered a cost of RM1,000.
Surendran however said that Anwar and his family members would appeal the decision and are confident of success in their appeals.
“I am in agreement with the respondent (in the process taken in denial of contact visits),” Nik Hasmat said.
She also said that Anwar is bound to certain “restrictions” to his personal and civil liberties now that he is a prisoner and that he is bound to prison regulations.
Anwar’s lawyers had argued that denial of contact visits is a violation of Anwar’s personal liberties as provided by the Federal Constitution.
Anwar filed the judicial review bid on May 18 last year after prison authorities denied his request for a contact visit in March last year.
His wife, daughters, and grandchildren were among nine other appellants in this case.