I’ve paid my dues over Anwar’s black eye, says ex-IGP

Amin Iskandar Noel Achariam Amin Iskandar, Noel Achariam Updated 6 years ago · Published on 26 Aug 2017 11:07AM · 5 Comments

PAS has no need to raise the matter of Anwar Ibrahim’s black eye as it has been settled with jail time and a fine, said the former police chief who punched the sacked deputy prime minister 18 years ago.

Abdul Rahim Noor said the incident was long past, and declined to elaborate on what had happened between him and Anwar after the latter was sacked from government and imprisoned in 1998.

Rahim was inspector-general of police at the time.

“Why should PAS raise the issue of the black eye incident? Even the Memali incident has not been brought to court, but my issue with Anwar has been settled by the court,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

He was responding to PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad, who, in a war of words over the 1985 Memali tragedy, had told him to “shut up” and stop blaming PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for his role in influencing people to oppose the government, leading to the the police siege in Memali village, Kedah, which killed 18 people.

In a tit-for-tat, Idris raised the issue of Anwar’s black eye, caused by Rahim who punched him while Anwar was in police custody.

Anwar had been sacked by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed on September 2, 1998, and arrested and jailed on September 20.

Rahim was sentenced to two months’ jail and fined RM2,000 for hitting Anwar after the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence on April 2001.

He stressed that the statements he had made regarding the Memali incident were not meant as an interference in political matters.

“If I wanted to be a politician, I would have done so after I retired and joined a political party. It wouldn’t matter if it’s the ruling party or the opposition.

“(But) I don’t have any power to stop anyone from saying that I want to interfere in politics.”

Rahim has been commenting on the Memali incident as he had been Special Branch director previously and had known of intelligence about PAS members inspired by Hadi’s speech, or “Amanat Hadi”, to oppose the government in militant fashion.

“Amanat Hadi” refers to a speech Hadi made on April 7, 1981, in which he declared Umno and Barisan Nasional as an infidel government that ruled like colonialists.

Rahim said Hadi’s speech had influenced religious teacher and PAS grassroots leader Ibrahim Mahmud and his followers to think they were fighting a righteous cause.

Ibrahim, 13 civilians and four police officers were killed and many others injured in the siege around Memali village.

The government issued a White Paper on the matter in 1986, but some eyewitnesses and surviving family members have disputed it and blamed the government for harming innocent civilians. – August 26, 2017.

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Comments

  • "Amanat Hadi" refers to a speech Hadi made on April 7, 1981, in which he declared Umno and Barisan Nasional as an infidel government that ruled like colonialists. If so, why did PAS collaborate with and support BUMNO during GE14?

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • He may have paid his dues but he still owe Anwar an explanation if not an apology

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • So long as you're not dead, you're free for all.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bob Hangguk · Reply

  • Still begs the question who, why or what made him punched a blind folded Anwar in the eyes? We still need to thank Abdul Rahim Noor though because without the black eye, there will be no keadilan, and without keadilan, there will be no Harapan! Of course, the fat China man was also instrumental in bringing BUMNO back down to earth.

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • Hey PAS....Dah settle janganlah sebut sebut lagi...cakap yang belum lagi settle...1MDB dan sebagainya...ya

    Posted 5 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply