Anwar: Opposition pitting rakyat against each other over non-Malay PM

 

The issue of a non-Malay becoming the prime minister was played up by the opposition to create disunity among the country's multiracial community, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Speaking to reporters earlier today, he said the matter is a non-issue as Malaysia's prime minister has always been a Malay.

However, according to Anwar, the opposition always created an issue out of nothing to pit the rakyat against each other.

He likened the incident to the opposition's claim that the government was going to carry out gerrymandering should they get a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

"This is like the issue of redelineation that was played up (by the opposition). There was no issue in the first place, but it was played up just to pit the people against each other so the rakyat, the Chinese, would be angry.

"There was no issue and they (the opposition) didn't understand the constitution. The constitution allows us to review the election boundaries by the end of 2026.

"Why do you want to make an issue about this... you should instead find ways to help improve our economy, to decrease the people's burden. Aren't you tired of causing the people to fight each other?" he said, as quoted by Berita Harian.

Anwar spoke to reporters after Friday prayer at a mosque in Bandar Baru Bangi this afternoon.

He was asked to respond to the police investigating Lim over his recent speech in the UK.

Lim Kit Siang

Lim recently came under fire from pro-Malay groups and politicians after raising the possibility of a non-Malay being appointed as the prime minister. Lim has also been summoned by the police over this.

Regarding the gerrymandering claim, it was understood that Anwar was referring to Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin's speech during the recent Pulai parliamentary by-election in Johor.

Muhyiddin had called voters to deny the federal government a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat by voting for PN candidate.

Meanwhile, Anwar has also ordered newly minted Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to monitor the Covid-19 situation in the country.

He reportedly told reporters that people should also start to pay more attention to their health following the rising Covid-19 trend.

"He (Dzulkefly) has started to monitor Covid-19 cases; although the impact is yet to be serious, we are urging the people to be careful," he reportedly said. - Mkini