MUAR, Sept 4 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that he would not want to be prime minister if the principles contained in the Federal Constitution, including the rights of the Malays and the position of Islam, were disputed.
Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) chairman, said therefore, irresponsible parties, especially among the opposition, should not raise the issue in order to intimidate the Malays.
“Who can dispute Malay leadership, the power of the Malays, Islam as the federal religion, the Malay language, the special rights of the Malay people, the sovereignty of the Malay Rulers? No one.
“Our friends in DAP, MIC, MCA, even in Keadilan, who are non-Malays, have never disputed that, and I do not want to be prime minister if the principles in the constitution are disputed,” he said.
Anwar said this at the Madani Unity Mega Ceramah programme in conjunction with the Simpang Jeram by-election in Sungai Abong here, last night, which was also attended by Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching and Harapan candidate for the state seat, Nazri Abdul Rahman.
The prime minister said the Malays themselves were used to promises and slogans that supposedly emphasised ‘Islam and the Malays’, but when the opposition parties were in the government previously, they did not make any changes.
“Was Islam better upheld, was corruption reduced, was the practice of stealing people’s property reduced? Nothing, they were just many slogans,” he said.
According to Anwar, the situation then was very different from the current administration, which promises to defend the fate of the people of various races in the country for as long as it rules.
Anwar said he did not mind being reviled and insulted, but his determination and desire to make Malaysia an economic powerhouse in the region would never waver.
“Insult (me) as much as you want. (I have endured) 25 years of being insulted, I don’t care. I want to use this power (vested in me now) to help the state and the people,” he said.
The prime minister also urged voters in Simpang Jeram to give their support to Nazri to become their representative, in order to strengthen the state government and help facilitate efforts to drive development in the area.
— Bernama
