She had warned Dr Mahathir about the ex-IGP’s short temper.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has admitted that she is displeased with the appointment of former IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor as the facilitator for the southern Thailand peace talks.
The Deputy Prime Minister, however, said that it was Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s prerogative to make the appointment.
“Mahathir told me Rahim had experience during the insurgency and terrorist activities.
“But I explained to him why my daughter had reservations because of past incidents. It was not easy for us to accept.
“He (Mahathir) said Rahim had experience. I said well, he has shown some shortness of temper.”
She said this in an interview with radio station BFM on Thursday (Aug 30) morning.
Wan Azizah added it was important for the country to resolve the problem, and whoever was chosen for the role of facilitator had to deliver.
On Monday (Aug 27), Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP, had, in a tweet, vehemently opposed Rahim’s appointment, linking him to the 1998 “black eye” incident when her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was punched by Rahim while under police detention after being fired as the deputy prime minister.
It resulted in Anwar appearing in court with a black eye.
All this occurred during Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister.
When asked if it was harder to forgive Rahim than Mahathir, Wan Azizah said she would “forgive all”.
“If I had revenge in my heart, it would have been different. I really thought, let’s be magnanimous, we have done well, there are many things to be grateful for and I am glad for the blessings from Allah.
“I feel that I can live with it, but we are humans and we sometimes have our ups and downs,” she added.
Rahim, who resigned in 1999 over his assault on Anwar, was jailed for two months the following year.
He replaces Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim who was appointed by the previous Barisan Nasional government to facilitate the peace talks between Thailand and Mara Patani, a coalition of rebel forces.
His appointment received backlash from several quarters, including former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and DAP veteran Dr Boo Cheng Hau.