KUALA LUMPUR (March 3): Former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has decided to represent himself in court, starting with his case tomorrow against Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia, PKR’s N. Surendran said.

The Padang Serai MP, who is also one of Anwar’s lawyers, said this came after Anwar’s meeting with lawyers was limited to one hour a week since August 2015 despite having 16 different civil and criminal cases still ongoing.

“Today, we announce Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to represent himself in court... he will fight his own cases.

“In these circumstances, Anwar has had no alternative but to discharge us from further acting for him in several of the cases, he will now represent himself in those cases,” he said at a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.

“Documents pertaining to this have been filed in court by Anwar… this includes a civil appeal in defamation coming up in the Federal Court tomorrow.”

Another lawyer, Latheefa Koya, said the notice to represent himself had been filed with regard to Anwar’s case against Utusan tomorrow.

“In some remaining cases, we will continue to represent him, subject to the restrictions of access by the authorities,” she said.

Surendran added that they had written numerous times to the Sungai Buloh prison director, the director-general of prisons and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on the matter, to no avail.

Latheefa meanwhile called on prison authorities to allow contact visit for Anwar and other prisoners, which would permit prisoners to touch and hold family members during visits.

"We are asking not only on behalf of Anwar, but for all prisoners to be able to have physical contact with their family members during these visits," she said, adding that there were no specific rules or laws that stopped prisoners from having physical contact with their loved ones.