PM Anwar says won't step down unless proven guilty of graft, hits back at ‘forgotten' politicians
He said there is no reason for him to vacate his post as he had not stolen public funds, New Straits Times reported this evening.
'Insya Allah, I will not step down,' he was quoted as telling reporters after the groundbreaking ceremony of Kompleks Madani Teluk Kumbar in Penang.
'If I steal the people's money, then they can call for me to step down. But I did not do so.
'All government contracts go through an open tender process.'
Anwar said his critics should use proper channels like tabling a motion of no-confidence in Parliament to challenge his leadership.
'They can pull support from any member of Parliament to support them. If I lose, I will step down nicely. That is the peaceful way,' he was quoted as saying.
He said the Opposition could also wait until the next general election, though he has not set a date for it.
'So, for now, let us preserve this peace and unity in our country,' he was quoted as saying, noting regional instability in other countries.
Anwar said past allegations against him had long been addressed and no longer held weight after nearly three years in office.
He said leaders with questionable wealth must be held accountable.
'If there are leaders who had wealths of RM100 million, they need to come forward and explain, answer for themselves (if investigated),' he was quoted as saying.
Anwar also accused certain politicians of attacking him now that they are no longer in power.
'Now that they are no longer in power, they gathered to hit out at us, saying we are oppressing the people, protecting the rich and oppressing the poor.
'But they forget,' he was quoted as saying, without detailing.
Anwar's remarks comes before the Dewan Rakyat resumes its sitting on Monday.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, is scheduled to table the 13th Malaysia Plan on July 31.
The mid-term review of national development policy is expected to outline economic and social reforms under his administration.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Abang Johari: Federal-state ties remain strong for Sarawak's progress
MIRI: Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has reiterated that the close cooperation between the state and federal governments would continue in the common interests of both the country and Sarawak. He said the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, which he leads, appreciates the cooperation currently enjoyed between the state and the federal government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "In fact, at the federal level, Sarawak is represented by a deputy prime minister, namely Datuk Sri Fadillah Yusof, in addition to other ministers from Sarawak," he said in his speech at the Sarawak Day celebration here yesterday. He expressed confidence that Sarawak's efforts to achieve greater prosperity would not undermine the wider national objective of advancing the country's overall development. He said the increase in Sarawak's revenue, particularly through the Sarawak Sales Tax (SST), would not diminish the country's revenue as the federal government has sufficient avenues to boost national income without burdening the people. Abang Johari said the GPS government would continue to fight for Sarawak's rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through ongoing negotiations with Putrajaya. "Sarawak has successfully regained nine rights under MA63 and the GPS government will continue its efforts to restore all rights that have been eroded over the years," he said. He noted that Sarawak started as a state with many shortcomings and widespread poverty, especially in rural areas, during the formation of Malaysia. "Now we are grateful that Sarawak's economy has shown very encouraging growth," he said, adding that last year Sarawak recorded its highest ever revenue of RM14 billion compared to RM13.3 billion in 2023. He said this year he had presented the largest budget in Sarawak's history amounting to RM15.8 billion, opening up opportunities for a more inclusive economy. "Under the powers provided by the Federal Constitution, the state has begun to enjoy more of its oil and gas revenues through the SST imposed on petroleum products as well as through profit sharing between Petronas and Petros," he said. The premier said the World Bank had recognised Sarawak as a high-income region for three consecutive years since 2022 based on a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of RM73,100 (US$17,000) in 2024, a figure that surpasses the threshold of RM63,800 (US$15,000) set by the bank. He said this status had placed Sarawak in fourth position after the Kuala Lumpur and Labuan and Penang, surpassing Selangor. He said the state government would continue to ensure Sarawak's resources are given added value through the creation of downstream industries, particularly in the oil and gas sector, guided by the long-term Sarawak Gas Roadmap (SGR). He expressed confidence that when fully implemented within 10 years the SGR would attract investments worth RM300 billion and generate RM120 billion in output from the product and service chain. "New industries will also be created, especially in the renewable energy sector, to generate up to 15,000 megawatts of energy by 2035, not only for domestic consumption but also for export to Asean countries," he said.
Daily Express
6 hours ago
- Daily Express
MP questions rejection of hike in special grant
Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Fong Hin took the Federal Government to task for the manner in which Sabah appears to be sidelined in terms of revenue allocation. He said the 'Keluarga Malaysia' slogan is useless if the plantation sector feels victimised, the tourism sector feels marginalised, the unemployed feel left out and the people of Sabah are not given increase in special grants provided in the Malaysian Constitution.
!['Tunggu Sekejap,' Anwar drops teaser video ahead of special announcement [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Fmamatributeq_NSTfield_image_socialmedia.var_1753201955.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
'Tunggu Sekejap,' Anwar drops teaser video ahead of special announcement [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: As anticipation grows over a much-awaited "extraordinary tribute" announcement later today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last night teased Malaysians with a short video clip on his Facebook page. The 13-second clip featured a snippet from one of his old speeches, which had previously gone viral and was often used by his political opponents. Featured Videos Socket switch causes minor fire at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital ward ▶︎ 0:29 News@9 , Tuesday, July 22 ▶︎ 0:52 Anwar wants laws to protect local creative works from AI threats ▶︎ 0:45 MARKET PULSE PM JULY 22 ▶︎ 0:43 67,000 evacuated as floods sweep Philippines, two missing ▶︎ 0:59 Police block march by students, activists to Parliament ▶︎ 0:29 Eastin Hotel to rebrand as Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel after RM100mil transformation ▶︎ 1:11 — Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) July 22, 2025 In the clip, Anwar can be heard saying: "Saya ulang, hari ini dalam pilihan raya kita menang, saya umum..." (I repeat, today if we win the election, I will announce...). The video then cuts to a classic Malay tune, "Tunggu Sekejap", loosely translated as wait for a moment by the late legendary artiste Tan Sri P. Ramlee, a subtle hint to the public to be patient and wait for today's announcement. It was reported yesterday that Communications Minister and government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Anwar's highly anticipated announcement would be made at 10.30am today. In a separate Facebook post, Anwar had said that the announcement would serve as a testament to the shared commitment towards creating a more equitable and prosperous future.
