KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 10): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is under medical observation after undergoing successful laparoscopic surgery for a para-umbilical hernia, according to the head of the prime minister’s medical team.
He will continue to be monitored and undergo physiotherapy during his recovery.
“The procedure went smoothly under the care of a team of medical specialists,” the statement released by the head of his medical team Datuk Asri Ranga Abdullah Ramaiah said.
A para-umbilical hernia is a condition where tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall near the belly button.
The latest statement provides more details on Anwar’s condition after the Prime Minister's Office earlier said he was undergoing medical tests and procedures and would be under observation for two days.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, just turned 79 on Monday. He was born on Aug 10, 1947 in Cherok Tok Kun, Bukit Mertajam, Penang, according to his official biography.
The medical treatment comes a day before the Dewan Rakyat is scheduled to hold a special sitting to debate the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Lembaga Tabung Haji.
Anwar had earlier requested the special sitting, which is scheduled to begin at 10am and continue into the afternoon, after the government declassified the RCI report. The commission examined Tabung Haji's management and financial affairs between 2014 and 2020.