Anwar wins apology, damages for assault

Anwar wins apology, damages for assault

Sarah Stewart, Agence France-Presse/Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia's former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday won a public apology and undisclosed damages for the beating he suffered at the hands of the then-police chief after his 1998 arrest.

In a civil suit which opened in court on Monday, Anwar had demanded an apology and compensation from the government, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, and former police inspector- general Rahim Noor.

But under an out-of-court deal, the case was dropped in return for an apology from Rahim as well as a sum in damages -- although Anwar's lawyer Gobind Singh said both sides agreed not to disclose who was paying.

"Thank God that the matter that has dragged on for so long is settled," Anwar told reporters.

"There's an agreement and a small compensation for me. I decided to accept Tan Sri Rahim Noor's apology in the hope that it will serve as a lesson to everyone," he said.

Anwar was Mahathir's deputy and heir-apparent before being sacked on Sept. 2, 1998. He refused to go quietly and on Sept. 20 led a massive anti-government protest that triggered his arrest.

That same evening he was beaten up by Rahim while blindfolded and handcuffed. The image of his black eye, seen as he was led into court later, caused an international furore and gravely embarrassed Mahathir's government.

Admitting he had lost his temper with Anwar, Rahim assumed full responsibility for the assault and announced his resignation in January the following year. In 2000 he was jailed for two months for the incident.

In court on Wednesday he again took the blame, with the apology read out by his lawyer.

"I Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor accept responsibility for the... assault. The pain and hurt caused to you and to your family is deeply regretted. I sincerely apologize to you Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim and your family for the same," it said.

Singh defended the settlement, saying it allowed Anwar to move on from the events which were "a very dark moment in his life".

"No, he doesn't get a public apology from Mahathir or the government, but he is of the view that the apology given by Rahim is sincere and very strong so he's very happy with that," he said.

"My client has maintained from the very beginning that this action is not about money but it was more about showing the police force that they cannot do as they please, abuse their position and get away with it."

Political commentator P. Ramasamy from the National University of Malaysia said the deal was disappointing and did not vindicate Anwar as much as a public apology and damages ordered by the court would have done.

"If it really came out in public it would be much more beneficial to society at large because the wrong done was a public wrong and although Anwar was the affected party, he was standing for something -- for reforms and change," he said.

"So I feel he should have pursued the matter in court, even though there's no guarantee he would have got what he wants."

After his arrest, Anwar was jailed on corruption and sodomy charges which he said were engineered to prevent him challenging Mahathir for the leadership. He was released in September last year after the sodomy charges were overturned.

However, he is barred from holding political office until 2008 under regulations governing convicted criminals.

Ramasamy said the settlement of the civil suit may be linked to the wider issue of Anwar's political future, and moves to remove the political ban so that he can contest national elections due in 2008.

"The settlement is all about giving and taking, so if Anwar had that tied into the settlement it could be significant for him and for the opposition in terms that Anwar could be a possible contender at the next election," he said.