Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to be released on June 8

Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomy, a charge he has said is politically motivated. PHOTO: HARIAN METRO

KAJANG - Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be released from prison on June 8, two days ahead of schedule, the Prisons Department director-general said on Sunday (Jan 7).

Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said that the Putrajaya Federal Court had upheld Datuk Seri Anwar's sodomy conviction on Feb 10, 2015 and meted out the punishment of five years jail starting Feb 10, 2015.

The calculation for the prison sentence that must be carried out, as well as Anwar's release date, was done by the Prisons Department based on Section 44 of the Prison Act 1995 as well as Rule 43 (1) (a) of the Prisons Regulations 2000, The Star reported.

"The Act and the Regulations give a one-third remittance from the sentence to any prisoner who undergoes a sentence exceeding one month. The calculation performed found that Anwar's release date is June 10, 2018," he said.

However, Rule 26 of the Prisons Regulations 2000 also explained that if a prisoner's release falls on a weekend or a public holiday, the prisoner must be released on the day prior. As June 10, 2018 is a Sunday and June 9, 2018 is a Saturday, Anwar can be released on June 8, 2018, which is a Friday, he added.

Anwar's wife, who is also president of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat opposition party, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had said on Saturday that he would be released from prison on June 11.

The 70-year-old de-facto leader of the PKR was sentenced to five years' jail on Mar 7, 2014 by the Court of Appeal for sodomising a former aide, a charge he has said is politically motivated.

He cannot run for political office for five years after his release, unless the Malaysian King pardons him.

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