By Rahmat Khairulrijal and Dawn Chan | New Straits Times
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob suffered an irregular heartbeat and will undergo a pacemaker procedure at the National Heart Institute (IJN) today, his lawyer said.
Lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad said the medical issue has forced the postponement of the reading of the charge and recording of Ismail Sabri’s plea, which have now been rescheduled to Aug 27.
“He suffered from arrhythmia yesterday while he was at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters and was taken to IJN.
“At present, he is still at IJN. This morning, when we contacted our client and his family, we were informed that he would undergo a pacemaker procedure this afternoon,” he said during a press conference.
Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat that may be too fast, too slow or erratic. A pacemaker is a small implanted device that helps regulate the heart’s rhythm using electrical impulses.
Amer also said Ismail Sabri had suffered health problems previously and had fallen about two weeks ago, resulting in his admission to Pantai Hospital.
“He was subsequently scheduled for a follow-up examination at IJN next Monday.
“Due to all these issues, it was impractical for the charge to be read at IJN. Therefore, we applied for the case to be postponed to another date,” he said.
Earlier, Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin fixed Aug 27 for the charge to be read and Ismail Sabri’s plea to be recorded, subject to his health stabilising and recovery.
Deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan did not object to the application, citing humanitarian grounds.
Ismail Sabri had been scheduled to appear in court today to face a charge believed to be related to his declaration of assets.
