Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, said she hoped the law suit brought against the government over the black eye her husband suffered in 1998 in the hands of then-police chief would deter authorities from mistreating prisoners.

"(Then police chief) Rahim Noor has admitted his guilt and now my husband and my family would like a public apology for having been treated so shabbily," Azizah, who is leader of the opposition PKR, told AFP.

The High Court today began hearing the lawsuit which names former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his role at the time of home minister, and former police inspector-general Rahim for the injuries Anwar sustained in police custody.

"It is important for them to accept and recognise that what they did to my family and I was absolutely uncalled-for, unwarranted and wrong," Anwar told the High Court.

"It was also an international disgrace which humiliated our country in the eyes of the rest of the world."

Anwar's lawyer Gobind Singh said that under the suit, which was filed in 1999, the former leader would also claim damages against the two named parties as well as the government, with the amount to be decided by the court.

Anwar was Mahathir's deputy and heir-apparent before being sacked on Sept 2, 1998. He refused to go quietly and on September 20 led a massive anti-government protest that triggered his arrest.

That same evening a blindfolded and handcuffed Anwar was beaten up by the then-police chief Rahim.

Symbol of police abuse

The image of his black eye, seen publicly as he was led into court later, was flashed around the world and depicted in countless opposition posters as a symbol of official abuse.

The former deputy premier says his back was also injured during the police beating and he has undergone numerous treatments including surgery in Germany.

Admitting he had lost his temper with Anwar, Rahim assumed full responsibility for the assault and announced his resignation in January the following year.

The attack gravely embarassed Mahathir's government and Rahim was jailed for two months in 2000 for the incident, although rights groups decried the sentence as too lenient.

Singh said the damages were being sought over the injuries Anwar suffered to his head, face and upper body, and the humiliation caused by the arrest, and were designed to act as a deterrent against similar abuses.

"It was humiliating for him to have been handcuffed and assaulted in the watchful eyes of the many junior police officers at the time. It was equally painful for him to face the country and the world in a beaten state," he said.

"I don't see how we can't be successful in the suit, the whole world knows what happened, there shouldn't be a problem succeeding," he told AFP.

Besides the assault, Singh said another aspect of the suit was the defendants' "failure to subsequently offer Anwar treatment, which would have served to reduce aggravation of his condition."

Heavy beating

In his testimony to the court, Anwar recounted the heavy beating he received, which had left him in pain.

"I was punched above my eye on my left forehead. A strong, hard punch. There was a heavy blow on the top right of my head, another one on the left top of head and the karate-like chop on my left neck," Anwar was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

"Then I felt like a punch on my right upper arm. And then strong left and right slaps. Left, more towards the ear and right more towards the front side of my face, near the mouth.

"I was crouching in pain and said something like aduh (ouch), Allah."

Anwar was subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges which he said were cooked up to prevent him challenging Mahathir for the leadership. He was released in September last year after the sodomy charges were overturned.

He is barred from holding political office until 2008 under regulations governing convicted criminals.

The hearing into the civil suit is scheduled to continue in the High Court until Friday.

A spokesman for Mahathir said the veteran leader would not immediately comment on the suit.