Anwar forgives, but won't forget
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has revealed horrific details of his six-year imprisonment on charges of sodomy and corruption.
Anwar was released on September 2 after Malaysia's Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction. He flew immediately to Germany for back surgery.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Foreign Correspondent program aired Tuesday evening, Anwar described how he had been denied medical treatment following a life-threatening bashing in jail.
"I was arrested blind-folded, handcuffed and I was assaulted severely and left unconscious until the following day," Anwar told reporter Evan Williams.
"After I regained consciousness I was quite sure that they would not allow me to leave, they would prefer me dead."
Anwar said some of his prison officers felt sorry for him and tried to act on his requests to see a doctor, but they were told they were not allowed to do anything for him.
Anwar was once considered the heir-apparent to then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, but was sacked and jailed in September 1998 after falling out with Malaysia's leader.
His convictions were widely condemned by international leaders and human rights groups who believed the charges were trumped up and that Anwar did not receive fair trials.
Anwar told the Foreign Correspondent program that one of the reasons for the falling out was his refusal to sign a multi-million-dollar bail request for Mahathir's sons after some of their business deals went awry.
"There were problems with his sons' companies. He (Mahathir) insisted that there should be a bail out," Anwar said.
"I said I am sympathetic ... Let me do whatever I can within my power to delay action ... but I can't sign the two billion ringgit ($77 million) transaction using government funds."
Anwar said he believed Mahathir was the ultimate force behind a conspiracy to have him jailed.
"He was clearly not the mastermind, but he was the chief. I mean, he decided, 'look Anwar has to go, you guys think of a plan to demolish him politically'," Anwar said.
Commenting immediately after Anwar's release, Mahathir told reporters he still believed his former colleague was guilty as charged.
"I'm not going to lose any sleep ... My conscience is clear," Mahathir said.
Despite his treatment, Anwar is prepared to forgive his former mentor, but not forget his treatment.
"I say forgive yes, forget no. You cannot forget and I think this must be a lesson ... There is a massive cover up of these atrocities, but I do hope and I will continue to demand that these excesses must stop."
Anwar also ruled out an immediate return to politics.
"I am saying that my interests is not participating in politics right now. My interest is national unity, peace, and we have to grapple with the complex issue of terrorism and the way Islam is being demonized," he told Williams.
