Anyone who wishes to visit jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim or any other inmate must first obtain permission from the Prisons Department, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said.

That was the reason former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was not allowed to meet with Anwar at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital yesterday, Nur Jazlan was quoted as saying in The Malaysian Insight.

"A convict is not a free man. His (Anwar’s) life is controlled by the Prisons Department. No one is allowed to meet him other than the family," Nur Jazlan (photo) was reported as saying.

Apart from family members, he added, others allowed to visit the inmates were their lawyers and those with a valid reason to visit.

"Mahathir has no official reason to visit him," said Nur Jazlan, who also confirmed that the order not to permit Mahathir to visit Anwar came from the Prisons Department.

Mahathir said yesterday he was not allowed to meet Anwar at the hospital after he was told that there were "orders from above" not to permit him.

Asked whether he would write to the Home Ministry to request permission to see Anwar (photo), Mahathir said that doing so would be futile.

On Sunday, Harapan named Mahathir, 93, as its candidate for the prime minister's post should the opposition coalition win federal power in the next general election.

This was supposed to have been his first visit to see Anwar, who is recovering from a surgery on his right shoulder.

Besides Mahathir, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman were also present at the hospital.

Since he was hospitalised last November, Anwar has also received visits from Prime Minister Najib Razak and his deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.