Prisons Dept denies not allowing family to visit Anwar

PETALING JAYA: The Prisons Department today denied that it did not allow former Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's family to visit him in prison for Aidilfitri.
Its deputy director Supri Hashim said the meeting dates for this year's celebration were set on the third and fourth day of Hari Raya.
"We stress that no Muslim inmates, including Anwar, have been denied their rights this Aidilfitri in accordance with rules and regulations," Supri said in a statement today.
He said the department had always allowed special visits in conjunction with festivities including Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, and the Menuai and Gawai festivals and the dates had always been announced in the media.
Supri urged everyone, including the media, not to issue inaccurate statements relating to visiting rights that could mar the Prisons Department's image.
Anwar's family said they were not allowed to visit him in prison on the first and second day of Hari Raya and claimed that prison officials told them to visit him on the fifth or sixth day due to the large number of visitors on the third and fourth day.