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On 10 September 1999, Anwar's lawyer Karpal Singh announced that Anwar had arsenic poisoning. Dr Mahathir said that to kill people because of politics was not the culture in Malaysia and that if Anwar had the poisoning why did his council wait 14 days later to make public.

Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah's anwer was that the urine samples were sent to Australia on 18 August 1999. Tests were conducted in Australia on 28 August 1999 and the results sent back to Malaysia on 9 September 1999.

It seems that Anwar has been having loss of hair, numbness in his finger tips and loss of weight of nine kilogrammes to 62 kg in recent months.

The Barisan Nasional Government has to set up a second Royal Commission to investigate the allegation. Although the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anbdullah Badawi said that the police would investigate it, there is concern about the ability of the police to do so.
Certainly, the police task force to look into Anwar's blcak eye last year did not come out with the culprit. It was not until the first Royal Commission was established that the ex-Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Nor was identified as the culprit.

The common fear is that even such a famous individual could face being beaten up and possible arsenic poisoning while under detention, what would happen to ordinary citizens?

On 11 September 1999, the Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang calls for the setting up of the second Royal Commssion of Enquiry. He has good reasons for doing so.

It is important that the allegation is investigated thoroughly. It is not good enough just sending Anwar for medical examinations. The Barisan Nasional Government would have to accede to the request of the people. The Prime Minister has to ensure that poisoning political opponent is not a Malaysian culture.

 Dr Tan Seng Giaw 14 September 1999