Health Minister Chua Jui Meng refused to confirm whether or not jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim will be sent back to prison since the latter's refusal yesterday to sign the letter of consent to undergo a spinal surgery locally.

"I will not stand for politicisation of the matter. We are a caring ministry. My concern is the treatment for my patients. To make decisions quickly and not to delay," said Chua.

"He (Anwar) must not deprive others of their rights by demanding his right and he must behave like other patients," he added.

The minster was speaking at a press conference today after launching of the Child Friendly Health Guidelines and the Child Friendly Health Association of Malaysia at the Paediatric Institute of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).

Yesterday, Anwar refused the surgery option offered by HKL in a 25-page letter to its director Dr Abdul Razak Syed Kechik, in which he had stated further that his right to the choice of treatment has been politicised and denied.

On April 25, Abdul Razak had sent a letter to Anwar, who has been undergoing treatment at HKL since November last year, providing the option of undergoing the microsurgery locally or to return to prison.

Anwar, who is serving a 15-year jail sentence on charges of corruption and sodomy, had requested for German spine specialist Dr Thomas Hoogland to perform the endoscopic microsurgery but the specialist has ruled out operating on Anwar at HKL after his expertise was widely questioned in the local media, by Abdul Razak and the government.

Briefings

Meanwhile, Chua when asked to comment on Anwar's refusal said that the local specialists cannot wait for "one man to make one decision".

"What about the rights of other patients? What about the 160 days he has spent in the hospital?" questioned the minister, adding that the "world is not centred on an individual".

When reporters kept questioning Chua on Anwar's return to the Sungai Buloh prison, the minister replied: "I have already briefed the Parliament, I have already said everything when I briefed diplomats. We were open to all questions then. I need not repeat what I have said."

On April 27, Chua briefed more than 140 diplomats on Anwar's condition. He had also presented a similar briefing to Parliament.

According to Chua the law states very clearly that Anwar, as a prisoner, will have to be operated in a government hospital.

"I am very sad that he is still insisting to go to Germany. We have told him that treatment will be provided here in HKL. If Hoogland wants to come, let him come," he said.