Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim opened up about one of the hardest times of his life during a podcast, recalling his experiences while in prison.
Appearing as a guest on the Sembang OhhYeahh! podcast hosted by Iskandar Rahman, Anwar spoke about some of the “heartbreaking moments” of his life, including being beaten nearly to death after being detained in 1998.
Anwar recalls being beaten nearly to death on his first day in prison
Anwar said he had already expected to be arrested because of his push for reforms, his efforts to stand up for the poor, and his fight against corruption and oppression.
Recalling the incident, Anwar said he was taken to a cell at Bukit Aman while semi-conscious before the then Inspector-General of Police arrived.
However, he never expected what happened on his first day in prison, when he was reportedly beaten nearly to death by the Inspector-General of Police at the time.
“Yes, I wanted to erase it and forget it, but the reality was that I was taken into a cell, handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten until I nearly died. I lost consciousness until the next morning,” he said.
Despite the ordeal, Anwar said he got up the following morning and continued his fight for change, viewing what happened as the “price” he had to pay to clean up the country.
“I was stubborn too. I got up the next day to bring about change and clean up the country. That was the price we had to pay, and it was a very high one,” he said.
Anwar’s mother passed away while he was still in prison
Additionally, Anwar opened up about his mother’s passing while he was in prison, describing it as one of the darkest and most heartbreaking moments of his life.
“Eventually, after making the necessary efforts, I was told that I would be allowed to see her at the hospital for about half an hour. My mother was critically ill, but she was conscious and very happy. I then returned to prison, and shortly after that, she passed away.
“That night was truly the darkest night for me. Imagine your beloved mother passing away while you are confined to a prison cell. It was only the next day that I was allowed to leave the prison to go home and perform her funeral prayers,” he said.
Despite attempts to forget or erase the incident from his memory, Anwar said being assaulted in prison remains one of the most “difficult experiences” he has been through.
He added that the experience also taught him that the road towards bringing about change would never be easy.
You can watch the discussion from the 18:30 minute mark:
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