Malaysia's jailed opposition leader granted furlough to attend father's funeral

FILE - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a news conference at Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this Oct. 23, 2008 file photo. Ibrahim was granted a furlough Sunday April 5, 2015 to attend his father's funeral, soon after he began a five-year prison sentence on sodomy charges that he says are politically motivated. (AP Photo/File) (The Associated Press)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been granted a furlough to attend his father's funeral, soon after he began a five-year prison sentence on sodomy charges.

Wearing a white Malay outfit, Anwar was taken to his father's house under heavy security to pay respects to the 96-year-old who died Sunday morning. Anwar will return to prison after the burial, which takes place after Muslim prayers.

Anwar began his sentence Feb. 10 after losing a final appeal against a charge of sodomizing a former aide in 2008. The court case was widely seen at home and abroad as politically motivated to eliminate any threats to Malaysia's ruling coalition, whose popularity has been eroding since 2008.