Prisons Department clarifies date of Anwar’s release from jail to be June 8

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PETALING JAYA: Due to conflicting reports on social media regarding the issue of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s release date from prison, the Prisons Department has stepped in to clarify the matter.

In a statement on Sunday, its director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said that the Putrajaya Federal Court had upheld Anwar’s conviction on February 10, 2015 and meted out the punishment of five years jail starting February 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 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,” said Zulkifli.

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.

“Until the release of this statement, the Malaysian Prisons Department and Sungai Buloh Prison has not received any warrant or order from any competent authority which ordered Anwar’s sentence to be amended.

“His release date, which is on June 8, 2018, also has nothing to do with the implementation of the parole system or any order from the Pardons Board,” Zulkifli added.

Anwar, 70, was sentenced to five years’ jail on Mar 7, 2014 by the Court of Appeal for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari, 33, at the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

In its 85-page written judgment, the Court of Appeal had overturned an earlier acquittal by the High Court.

Anwar had filed 35 grounds in his petition of appeal asking the Federal Court to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling.