Its hard to forgive Rahim Noor for assaulting dad, says Nurul Izzah

comments     Arfaeza A Aziz     Published     Updated

The eldest daughter of jailed deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah Anwar, admitted that she has yet to forgive former Inspector General of Police Abdul Rahim Noor for assaulting her father at the Bukit Aman lock-up cell on Sept 20, 1998.

Nurul Izzah told malaysiakini in an exclusive interview that it is very difficult for her to forgive Abdul Rahim especially since the assault had worsened the condition of her father's slipped disc. Anwar is now confined to a wheelchair and is constantly wearing neck and back braces.

"To think that my father's life is now at stake because of it. As a Muslim, I suppose you have to forgive. I also know that this is a will of God. My father says that he doesn't want us to grow up in hatred. But, it's really difficult," she said.

The third-year electrical engineering student at Universiti Tenaga Nasional said she and her younger siblings were extremely angry when they first discovered about the assault and readily admitted that some of that anger still exists.

"When I saw his (injured) eye, my feeling was beyond description... I was so angry. Such cruelty! And the person who did it was so inhumane. For God's sake what did my father do? Is it not enough that you humiliated him, you arrested and charged him. And this! I was very, very angry. All of us were. It was horrible," said Nurul Izzah.

She was sure that Anwar did not do or say anything to deserve the assault and stressed that her father had always maintained his cool even when he was angry or upset.

"He was always patient, even when the police stormed into the house (on Sept 20, 1998) to arrest him. He had politely asked for the warrant. He would never swear. We should know better because we are his children and he never swears even when he is extremely angry," she said.

Hopes to come to terms with anger

She said she is still trying "to come to terms" with the anger and hoped that she will be able to forgive Rahim in the future.

She also said that the ability (to forgive) would be easier if the authorities had shown some compassion and allowed Anwar to seek medical treatment of his choice.

"But the fact remains that was how they treated my father. Not an ounce of sympathy or humanity was granted to him. So it's not an easy thing to do...to forgive," she said.

On March 15, 2000 Rahim was jailed two months and fined RM2,000 after pleading guilty to assaulting Anwar in a lock-up cell in Bukit Aman on Sept 20, 1998. Rahim admitted to the court that he had directed a police officer to blindfold and handcuff Anwar before assaulting him.

Anwar was arrested earlier that day after leading a reformasi demonstration by his supporters in protest of his sacking from the Cabinet on Sept 2 that year.

Rahim's appeals to the High Court and Court of Appeal failed to set aside the jail sentence and he begun serving his jail term on April 30, 2000. However on June 9, he was released by the Kajang Prison authorities, 20 days earlier, for good behaviour.

Anwar has since filed a civil suit against Rahim seeking damages for the assault and the case is still pending.

Brother badly affected

Nurul Izzah said that she and her siblings are constantly praying for their father's acquittal from his corruption and sodomy convictions but stressed that the family's main concern now is for Anwar to receive medical treatment.

She also admitted that her younger brother, Muhamad Ihsan, 17, was badly affected by the arrest and incarceration of their father as he is the closest to Anwar being the only boy in the family.

She said that it is very difficult for Ihsan to control his anger against those responsible for their father's detention, and the fact that he could do nothing to help their father made it even worse.

However, she said, Ihsan is more relaxed now. He is currently studying at the Victoria Islamic College in Australia.

Nurul Izzah also admitted to being over-protective of her younger siblings, especially her youngest sister, 10-year-old Nurul Hana who is always asking for answers on issues involving their father.

"But we (the elder siblings) try to tell the young ones what's going on. If they ask, we do explain about the situation our father is facing. Nothing is ever hidden from them," said Nurul Izzah who is also a guest writer at Suara Anum , a on-line magazine.

She said the whole family misses Anwar and everyone tries to communicate with him as often as possible. Apart from their weekly visits in prison, she said they also write to him.

"During our meetings at the prison we are very jovial. Our grandfather usually scolds us for laughing too much. Of course we have our moments of sadness. We treasure whatever few moments we have together," said Nurul Izzah whose hobbies are reading and travelling.


Malaysiakini subscribers can read the full question-and-answer with Nurul Izzah Anawr in "Puteri reformasi comes to terms with life" in the opinions/features section. More tomorrow.



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