Mussolini Ancl Hitler Strong Leaders Who Put Their Nations on the Map. &Y Dr Maznah Mohamad
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HEART TO HEART : "\\'hat comes from the lip' reaches the car, what comes from the heart reaches the heart" ·Arab proverb Fighting for a Cause It's a struggle of the spirit, without arms our members of the Aliran Monthly edi nished living room. While we waited. we \\.'On torial board met Dr Wan Azizah Wan dered if she would be guarded in articulating g Ismail, wife of sacked deputy prime her views due to the gag order !'>lapped on her. minister Anwar Ibrahim, at her Bukit Damansara home in Kuala Lumpur recently. Soon, the woman ,..,·hom many in the fledgling Reformasi movement look to for mspiration ap The house looked almost deserted when we peared. Dressed in a simple, ::.tylish pink and arrived at 3 pm for our appointment. We white baju kunwg A.zizah appeared supremely walked around the house and spotted a re confident and fielded our questions deftly, "ith placed wooden panel on the front door and a out any airs, during the -10-minute session. missing glass pane on the window - telling evidence of the excessive force that police used In this exclusi\·e wide-ranging internew with when they broke into the house to arrest A/iran Monthly, one of her rare interviews with Anwar on the night of 20 September, soon af the local media ('wh1ch she avoids because, ::.he ter he had led massive demonstrations in the says, they distort her views), she provides an capital. insightful glimpse into her backgnund, her family's recent trials, the recent str~t prote,ts Presently, a young aide opened the panelled door and the challenges facing the Reforma:-i mow and ushered us into a spacious but modestly fur- ment, and Malays1ans generally. Ali ron Monthly November 1998: 18( 10) Page 2 Mussolini And Hitler Of Demonstrations And Democracy Police Brutality Shopping For Justice Still Shopping For Justice 36 16 ALIRAN'S HOMEPAGE 19 http:/ /www.malaysio.net/aliran 24 Print~ by RP PriD~I$ Scln. Bbd.. 23 66, 68 " 70 Jill ill\ Aii ltml 28 10460 Pulou Pinans, Moloysio. 39 T•l : CGfl 226 5546 fa_, (Gfl 227 U64 Published by Aliran Kesedaran Negara (AURAN) 103, MedanPenaga, 11600 Jdutong. Penans, Malaysia. Tel : (04) 658 5251 Fax: (04) 658 5197 Ali ron Monthly November 1998: 18(1 0) Page 3 Fighting for a Cause Aliran Monthly's Interview with Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail . Aliran Month ly: On behalf of Aliran, we would like to thar1k you for granting us this interview, which we are sure our readers will appreci ate reading. Please convet; our COlt cern to Datuk Seri Anwar and in form him that we're praying for him and hoping that he will have a fair hearing in court. It's been nearly two months since Anwar was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and expelled from UMNO and about one month since he was arrested. How is your family, espe cially the children, coping with the that they are the children of a Alor Setar, from Standard One to situation? fighter. They have to continue Funn Five. I liked the Convent because it is very important to school very much. The nuns Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail: The have an education, to have the taught me a lot. I can still recite children of course miss their fa ideals and the principles. They 'Our Father who art in heaven ... ther terribly. They have had their have to fight, but they must go all right? I went to Tengku little episodes -one had an anxi on with their education. It is im Kurshiah College for a while and ety attack. They had to go to portant. then I was in Dublin for six years. school when earlier on they 1 was the top student for didn't feel like going. And then Aliran: For many Malaysians, you Obstretics and Gynaecology for they l1ad fever, conjunctivitis and haven't been a very public person my year and won a gold medal. all that. So, I had to deal with all until recently. Could you tell us a My name is inscribed in the halls that. This is quite normal in any bit about yourself and your back of the College of Surgeons, which family - the illnesses here and ground before becoming the wife of a is very important because it is a there. 11aHonalleader. Malaysian girl's name. Of course, there are two other Ma But our family is now in a tur Azizah: I grew up in Kedah, laysians, but I was the first fe moil. Their father has been Mahathir's state. I grew up with male. But I don't ru.ually brag treated in this way and the chil my uncle and aunt because my you know ... (smiles} dren feel the outrage. My eldest father studied in London at that daughter tried her level best; she time and he had to leave me be I was a houseman in the GH in went over and tried to seek some hind. Dr Mahathir was an MP Kuala Lumpur. That's where I political support from family when I was growing up. I re first met Am..,·ar- he was visiting friends - not as an emissary but member Datin Sri Or. Siti Oatin Sri Dr Sati Ha.smah's sister. just to meet President (Joseph) Hasmah (Mahathir's wife) came She had an appendicitis. I was on Estrada and President (B.J.) to officiate at my school's fun-fair. duty and he came to see her and Habibie. That was it. I was guard of honour - many that's how we met. years ago. And Marina Mahathir And the other children, they con- was also my junjor in school. I was in GH all the time. I was tinue. Life has to go on- because on scholarship so I had to do 10 their father left them the message I studied in St. Nicholas Convent, years of senice . I did 14 years - Ali ron Monthly November 1998: 18( 10) Page 4 until Anwar was DPM. Then I Actually, we stopped them. There Kampung Baru. What are your stopped and thenl went back for were so many, so we said, "Eh views on the actions of the police and volunteer service. cukuplah, janganlah banyak the protesters? banyak." (That's enough, please, Aliran: Has Anwar been given ad not too many.) They went up Azizah: The protesters came and equate access to his lawyers. Are stairs, downstairs, geledah sana, showed me the scars and the there complaints about this? geledah sini (rummaging here and wounds and the bruises. Yes, they there). And then one group went; came and showed me because Azizah: Initially, he did not have a second group came. So tiring. I I'm not directly involved, but I'm any access but (for the) hearing, don't know what they were look so sympathetic because they are he could see his lawyers - three ing for. doing this on my behalf. The bru lawyers at a time, office hours. tality is actually on the part of the Not on Tuesdays and Public Holi Aliran: Did they give you an inven police. days. On Tuesdays, the Magis tory? trate comes to the prison, so no They (the authorities) have to body is allowed to go. Other Azizah: Yes, they had a search list prove thatthe protesters were the days, yes. after that. They took some tapes. ones (who were violent). If you All the tapes that were for the go to those who have been ar Aliran: Does he find it difficult to Gerak Reformasi- not the Gerak rested, who are in hospital... who prepare for his case because he is de (Malaysian People's Justice are the ones who got beaten up, tained? Movement) - whatever Anwar you tell me? And two policemen had been doing. came out, ini scratch sana, ini Azizah: Yes, in a way- because scratch sini (with just a couple of when he was arrested, they came Aliran: Regular protest marches and scratches here and there), two to ransack the house. From 12 demonstrations have taken place in policemen -then what is your midnight to 6 in the morning - Kuala Lumpur recently. Do you re evidence? And then you have three groups coming and going, gard this as a hopeful sign for the these protesters sudah four ransacked everything. Some future of Malaysian democracy? stitches sana, patah sana, patah sini times you need files and letters, (with severe injuries),so who's which helps in the defence; so we A.zizah: Any protest is a hopeful resorting to violence? have a bit of a difficulty in that sign for me because if it dies sense. down, then everything is .forgot Aliran: How should the demonstra ten - people get on with their tors react when confronted with ag Aliran: When you request the ma lives. Ideals tend to die once you gressive police personnel? terial, is it made available? have a full stomach: "So Anwar is in jail; so what? I can still get Azizah: How can you react? It's Azizah: TI1e office is sealed. The up and go to work and get on only natural. You give, okay, tiga moment Anwar came out of of with life." minit bersurai (three minutes to fice, his two offices were sealed. disperse). And then after 30 sec It is difficult to go in and access. But when people feel strong onds, you blast them with the And his dairies also .. .l don't enough to think that this cause is water cannon.