Anwar says daughter Nurul Izzah free to air views on Rahim Noor

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar is free to air her views on Tan Sri Rahim Noor’s appointment as the peace talk facilitator in southern Thailand, her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

He added that his eldest daughter’s opposition to the former inspector-general of police would have been formed based on her own experience, after seeing him assaulted while in custody.

“She is free to give her views. Seeing her father beaten half to death when she was still young definitely left an impact,” he said.

Nurul Izzah had asserted that Rahim was not the right person to negotiate peace between the Thai government and Muslim insurgents in its restive south which borders Malaysia.

Her mother, who is also Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had also voiced her reservation on Rahim’s appointment.

Rahim had served as the country’s fifth IGP from 1994 to 1999. His record was tarnished after he was accused of giving Anwar a “black eye” when the latter was detained on alleged sodomy and corruption investigations, for which he was later convicted.

Prior to that, Rahim was known for helping bring a peaceful end to the decades-long communist insurgency that culminated with the signing of the Hat Yai Peace Accords in 1989.

Anwar sidestepped when asked his personal view of Rahim’s appointment to negotiate peace now.

“If you think Nurul Izzah is hard on the matter while Wan Azizah is soft, where do you think I stand? If you ask me, it is not an easy thing to answer,” he said.