Anwar: Indians among country’s poorest, but leaders ‘filthy rich’

GE15 | Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim today pointed to the stark contrast between the Indian poor in Malaysia and their putative leaders whom he said were among the wealthiest of people.

Stumping for PKR candidates in the federal and state constituencies within the parliamentary ward of Tapah, Perak, Anwar told a crowd of more than 200 people in Taman Permai, Bidor, that many Indians were “dirt poor” but some Indian leaders were “filthy rich”.

“This disparity should be a source of shame.

“That is why I say again and again that if anyone in a government I may lead is found to be corrupt, I will kick the person into prison,” he said, to rousing cheers from the crowd.

Obviously alluding to the wealth of incumbent Tapah MP and MIC deputy president M Saravanan, whose public declaration of assets while in the government of Muhyiddin Yassin (March 2020 till August 2021) showed him to be the richest politician in the country, Anwar said the stark poverty of many Malaysians was cause for national mortification.

“There are Malays who are among the poorest people in this country but some of the Indian poor are dirt poor, a situation that cannot be allowed to endure,” he said.

Speaking in a voice that was hoarse from the campaigning he has done crisscrossing the country since nomination day on Nov 5, Anwar resorted to frequent use of the epithet “bodoh” (stupid) to describe Harapan’s opponents, a sure sign his narrative skills were fraying under pressure of his gruelling schedule.

‘Saraswathy will bring change’

Plugging for K Saraswathy, the PKR candidate pitted against Saravanan, a three-term Tapah parliamentarian, Anwar said: “She has been fighting the MIC even before she joined PKR. If she wins here, she will bring change.”

Earlier in her speech, Sarawasthy remarked on the irony that while Saravanan was the human resources minister and its caretaker minister now, the youth of Tapah lacked jobs.

Pakatan Harapan Tapah candidate K Saraswathy during her campaign

“They have to go outside of Tapah, to the Klang Valley and even Singapore, to earn a living,” she said.

“He has no ideas for the development of Tapah. He has been your MP for fifteen years but has done nothing to improve your lot in life.”

Earlier, the PKR candidates for the state seats under Tapah, Atyrah Hanim (Chenderiang) and Mohd Nazri Hashim (Ayer Kuning) led the attack against BN and Perikatan Nasional that was amplified by Saraswathy and Anwar when it came time for them to speak.

The icing on the cake at the ceramah was the presence of Mohamed Azni, formerly of Bersatu and loser by 614 votes to Saravanan in GE15.

He said he felt duty-bound to stump for Saraswathy because of the help she gave him in the 2018 campaign.

“She will be good for the people of Tapah,” he said. “She has prepared for it,” he added. - Mkini