KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — PAS today urged Putrajaya to reconsider its decision not to allow opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to attend Parliament, arguing that it is undemocratic and tarnishes Malaysia’s image.

The Islamist party’s information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar said Anwar had every right to attend Parliament as the latter is still a lawmaker despite being sentenced to five years behind bars for sodomy.

“The move of the government to stifle the democratic right that is guaranteed by the Constitution is not only disappointing to us opposition members of Parliament but all the citizens that chose Pakatan Rakyat in the last 13^th General Election,” he said.

“As such, PAS insists that the government reconsiders the request to give permission to the Opposition Leader to attend and debate especially as a sign of reverence to Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong who was willing to attend and officiate the third session of the 13^th Parliament,” he added.

Mahfuz claimed that the Prisons Department had the authority to allow a prisoner to attend an event should the reason provided be valid but instead chose to politicise the issue when they rejected Anwar’s request.

“The Prison Commissioner should have made a decision fairly, courageously and justly without being influenced by any party because the public will still see the rejection to have a political element that is to deny the rights of the opposition leader that has become the enemy of the Barisan Nasional government,” he said, referring to the ruling coalition.

The Prisons Department rejected Anwar’s application to attend Parliament last Wednesday.

PKR’s Parliament Whip Datuk Johari Abdul has since sought a meeting with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia discuss other ways to allow Anwar to attend Parliament despite his incarceration.

An elected representative is disqualified from office if jailed for one year or fined RM2,000 for any offence, according to Article 48(1)(e) of the Federal Constitution.

Anwar’s family, however, sent in a request for a royal pardon on February 24 and his status as Permatang Pauh MP is pending the decision by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On February 10, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, and sentenced the PKR de-facto leader to five years’ jail.