Her Father's In Jail. Now What? Nurul Izzah Has These 3 Messages To Malaysians
Nurul Izzah Anwar sheds some light on what young Malaysians can do in regards to Anwar Ibrahim's situation.
By Hew Lee Yee — 17 Feb 2015, 06:51 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
On 10 February 2015, the Federal Court delivered the final verdict, finding Anwar Ibrahim guilty of sodomy. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Since then, there are reports of the 67-year-old's less than tolerable jail conditions, aggravating his spine problems and affecting his health
Jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim – who has spent a week in prison – was only given a 2-inch foam mattress on the floor to sleep on, posing a serious risk to his health given his history of back and spine problems, his lawyers said today.
"Damage done to his health, considering his age and current health condition, may be irreparable. The government is fully responsible for prisoner of conscience Anwar Ibrahim's safety and health while he remains in custody," the lawyers said.
themalaysianinsider.com
SAYS asked Nurul Izzah, Lembah Pantai MP and daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, what young Malaysians can do to to help. This is her message:
1. Focus on the call to action
Nurul Izzah: Right now it’s important to ask everyone to focus on the call [to] action. There’s the petition that was sent by John Malott (former US ambassador to Malaysia) to the White House. There’s also the postcards that we’ve prepared, so at least we keep the prisoner (her father) in the abreast of what’s happening and that people have not forgotten him and the plight for a better Malaysia.
2. It's an emotional time for many but don't let it be a hindrance from significant actions being taken
Nurul Izzah: We are also saddened and heartbroken, but it’s very important to understand not to allow the oppressors to have the right to make you feel that way. So it’s about moving forward. [...] You can even write to the Home Minister to ensure that his status as a prisoner and the fact that Malaysians from all stripes would have a fair treatment under the law because [there is] greater crackdown. Zunar was also arrested after merely tweeting on the outcome, Rafizi and many other politicians would fall victim to the Sedition Act, when will it end?
3. Don't give up hope, make use of the resources we have at hand
Nurul Izzah: I would probably just stress that you must always focus on the call [to] action in terms of doing your bit. [...] I also believe in the wisdom of the electorate and of the people in this day and age where social media is really the main thing that everyone is gravitating to. The issue is how can you make best use of it. We’ll figure out more things as we go along.
Before she left, she ended with one very short but important piece of message:
Anwar Ibrahim's guilty verdict came as a disappointment not only to Malaysians but also from the international counterparts who questioned the fairness of Malaysia's judiciary system