Rahim stepped down as inspector-general in January and later admitted to assaulting Anwar, but pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to cause grievous injury, punishable by three-and-a-half years in jail.

He now faces the grim prospect of being thrown into jail along with Anwar, who was sentenced to six years in prison last week for abusing his power by interfering in a 1997 police investigation into sexual charges against him.

Rahim became inspector-general in January 1994 and was supposed to retire at 55 in June last year after 29 years on the force, but his tenure was extended for a year by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was also home minister.

Three months later, Anwar was sacked after a power struggle with Mahathir, setting off the worst politicalcrisis in the country since ethnic riots shook the multi-racial Southeast Asian country in 1969.

An economics graduate from the elite state-run Universiti Malaya, Rahim joined the police as a cadet assistant superintendent in September 1969, just four months after the riots and while the country was still fighting a communist insurgency.

As he rose up the ranks, according to Malaysian press accounts, Rahim developed a reputation for toughness tempered with a loyal and caring image among his men, especially when the police came under criticism.

Rahim defended his men when human rights advocates denounced them for acting as ``judge, jury and executioner'' in the killing of four suspected kidnappers last year.

In 1996, Rahim tangled publicly with National Unity and Social Development Minister Paduka Zaleha Ismail, who accused the police of not taking domestic violence cases seriously.

The squabble came to an end when Anwar, who was then acting Prime minister while Mahathir was on leave, ordered a stopto the bickering.

Rahim was also caught by television cameras snapping at a foreign correspondent after a tense press conference at the height of the Anwar crisis.

But the biggest test for the gritty cop -- who was once personally close to Anwar -- was yet to come.

In what came to be known as the `black eye' incident, Anwar was taken into police custody and beaten on the night of September 20, after leading a massive rally downtown denouncing Mahathir, who had sacked him from the cabinet 18 days earlier.

Rahim dispatched police commandos in black ski masks to pluck Anwar from his home and allegedly punched him in a fit of rage at the police headquarters until the former leader bled and lost consciousness.

Anwar, who was handcuffed and blindfolded at the time of the assault, later appeared in court with a black eye and a bruised arm, sparking international condemnation of his treatment and forcing Mahathir to launch an investigation.

Mahathir gave up control of the home ministry in January, turningit over to his new deputy, former foreign minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

During a special Commission's inquiry into Anwar's beating, Rahim admitted he attacked Anwar after the former minister allegedly called him ``the father of all dogs'' -- a serious insult in Malaysia.

But Anwar denied provoking Rahim and said he was able to identify him as his attacker after hearing the officer's distinctive cough inside the room where he was beaten.