[Setelah 20 tahun berkuasa beginilah layanan Mahathir buat seorang pesakit dan anak-anaknya. Bukan itu sahaja keluarga tahanan ISA pula disembur dengan pancutan air berbisa di Kamunting. Di manakah Mahathir jika tidak sedang bergembira bersama 25,000 pengampunya menikmati juadah ulangtahunnya. Inilah pemimpin yang tidak berani bersatentang mata dengan DS Wan Azizah apatah lagi berdailog dengan keluarga ISA. Dengan tersiarnya video CNN ini dapatlah dunia menilai betapa dahsyatnya Mahathir mencengkam hak seorang pesakit dan hak untuk bersuara demi untuk mengekalkan kuasa. Sampai sekarang tiada bukti semua yang ditangkap ISA itu menggugat keselamatan negara atau mempunyai bom dan grened di mana-mana. Itu semua helah belaka malangnya 25,000 pengampu Mahathir itu mudah lupa. - Editor]

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0107/16/i_ba.02.html

Anwar Ibrahim Moving Ahead on Appeal Against Malaysian Government's Refusal to Allow Him to Travel Abroad for Surgery

Aired July 16, 2001 - 08:35:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL JUSTICE PARTY: He is asking for his right as a patient, and in the human rights charter of the United Nations, too, which Malaysia has signed up as well, that he has the right of choice of treatment, and because he is still able to have bail, he granted bail, because he hasn't exhausted all avenues of appeal, he is able to go.

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 s###my.

Anwar says the case was politically motivated.