Terence Netto
1:52PM Dec 7, 2013
MalaysiaKini
Nurul Izzah Anwar has a brief but vivid recollection of South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela who died at the age of 95 yesterday.
The PKR vice-president was in a party that included her father and mother and three siblings who were on a visit to South Africa in late 2004 a few months after Anwar Ibrahim’s release from jail upon acquittal of a charge of sodomy.
Nurul said Mandela, who had already retired after one term as the first president of a newly liberated nation, met up with Anwar and accompanying members of the latter’s family at Johannesburg during the visit in 2004.
“Though already retired he was a huge presence in South Africa, even in the rest of the world,” said Nurul.
“As you know, the African National Congress has great affinity for Malaysia because of our country’s early support for their struggle against apartheid rule,” the Lembah Pantai MP added, dilating on her reminiscences of the encounter with Mandela.
“Mandela radiated the warmth that must have come from a feeling of gratitude towards Malaysians and exuded great charisma during that brief meeting with us,” elaborated Nurul.
“His presence was mesmerising and I could feel the greatness of his stature from just regarding him in person and from being introduced to him,” she said.
Nurul recalled that though it was a brief meeting, the encounter will remain indelible in her memory because “Mandela is one of the all-time greats in the history of struggles for freedom.”
“I’m fortunate to have met him and I will treasure the memory of the warmth and the charisma he exuded,” remarked Nurul.
Source:
http://malaysiakini.com/news/248757
