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DALTON TANONAKA, CNN ANCHOR: Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammed marks 20 years in office today. That milestone comes as the leader faces growing opposition from within, and outside his ruling political party. On eve of this anniversary, 41
people were arrested outside a detention camp, where six activists are
being held without trial. Malaysia's best known prisoner is a former
deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. He's moving ahead on the appeal
against the government's refusal to allow him to travel abroad for surgery
on a slipped disk. BIZASIA's Lisa Barron asked Anwar's
wife, Wan Azizah, about that medical condition and other issues in Kuala
Lumpur. LISA BARRON, CNN CORRESPONDENT:
What has been his response from the government to his request? WAN ISMAIL: Our application
to the general has been rejected, and my daughter and my son, and the
lawyers of the family has given a letter of appeal to the whole ministry.
At that time, my daughter and my son were harassed. The police came
and asked them for a statement after they handed over the letter, which
amounts to intimidation. But the prime minister has not replied to our
appeal. BARRON: Where do you see
the latest battle over his health ending up. WAN ISMAIL: Well, I would
like to see as soon as possible, that on humanitarian grounds along,
that my husband be allowed to go and pursue and have his operation --
have his procedure done as soon as possible, because the longer we wait,
the more the morbidity of the situation. BARRON: What is your view
of the overall human rights situation in Malaysia now? WAN ISMAIL: Human rights
is jumbled because of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mainly. In Awar's case, of
course, the right of a patient to get, and freedom of speech, where
we have traditions act and we don't have freedom of the media, and we
don't (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you can not congregate freely. More than four
is people considered a gathering without police permits. BARRON: Why does the government
use the ISA? What does it allow the government to do? WAN ISMAIL: Anything.
It's detention without trial. They take you in for 60 days without any
cause for support, or counsel, or lawyers or family. They don't know
where they have taken, and they will be blindfolds and handcuffed. Anytime
they move anywhere, they would be placed in a cell, you don't know night
or day and the time, and interrogation after interrogation from personnel
that do not have names, do not identify themselves. And many, many things
will be drummed into you, or make you feel you have to confess, things
like that. (END VIDEOTAPE) TANONAKA: Anwar is currently
waiting for the court to assign a date to hear his appeal on his conviction
for corruption and sodomy. Anwar says the case was politically motivated.
END TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS
OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE |
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