Royal pardon: Anwar's family places confidence in Constitutional monarchy

The family of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today confirmed that they have submitted a petition for a royal pardon to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on the conviction and five-year imprisonment handed to him for the second sodomy case.

Anwar's second child, Nurul Nuha, 31, said in a statement tonight that the petition was made 'based on Article 42 of the Federal Constitution'.

"We have confidence in the process of the constitution and believe that the principle of justice will prevail when all the facts are studied comprehensively without political intervention or that from any branch of the government in line with the separation of power through the institution of Constitutional Monarchy," she said.

The statement was issued following the move by Anwar's wife, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Datuk Wan Ismail and two of her children, Nurul Izzah and Nurul Nuha, to hand over the petition for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to an Istana Negara oficial, here this afternoon.

Meanwhile in a statement tonight, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia also confirmed having received a copy of the petition for a pardon filed by Dr Wan Azizah.

Anwar is currently serving a five-year jail term after being found guilty of sodomising his former personal assistant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Pandikar Amin said that following the petition, Anwar's status as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh would only be determined after the decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Anwar will automatically lose his position as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh if he did not seek for a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today.

The PKR advisor has 14 days from the day he was convicted and jailed for sodomy to file a petition for a pardon.

The Federal Court on Feb 10 had rejected Anwar's appeal against the conviction and jail sentence for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari in 2008, and upheld the five-year jail sentence.