Although Anwar Ibrahim now lounges in the corridors of power, the prime minister can’t help but recollect his tortuous journey to the top.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera’s ‘101 East’ programme, Anwar harked back on the painful memories of his infamous “black eye” incident in 1998 where he was a victim of police brutality.
“The night I was badly assaulted… I was thinking of my parents, (wife) (Dr Wan) Azizah (Wan Ismail), and the family.
“And I thought because of the severity of the attack, I thought I would not survive,” he divulged in the documentary titled “From Prison to Prime Minister: Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim”, where Wan Azizah and their daughter Nurul Izzah were also featured.
It was later discovered that then inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor had inflicted the injury.
Rahim was found guilty of the assault in 2000 and received a two-month jail sentence. In 2005, he apologised to Anwar and his family.
Anwar’s “black eye” then became the symbol of PKR.
Family support
The Pakatan Harapan chairperson’s turbulent rise to power also affected and took a personal toll on his family.
While Anwar was behind bars, Wan Azizah was thrust into politics to stand in for him and lead PKR.
“I told myself: Be strong. I will not give whoever did this to us the satisfaction of seeing me break,” Wan Azizah said in the documentary.
Seeking justice for Anwar at that time became a family affair, as Wan Azizah and her children campaigned internationally for his release.
Nurul Izzah, who was dubbed puteri reformasi (princess of reform), revealed that it was sometimes frustrating for her and her siblings to be courageous while their father was in prison.
However, Anwar’s “lead with action” attitude gave the family some degree of acceptance and strength, she said.
“My father has always taught us to understand challenges and tribulations are all relative.
“We could visit him in prison. He would never allow us to tear up or to be sad.
“It was always filled with laughter even if it was a dungeon,” she added. - Mkini
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