PM: No prosecution without proof
KOTA KINABALU: Stating that he is not a dictator, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said while he has a duty to maintain peace and uphold law, it is not to the extent of prosecuting without proof and going through the proper procedures.
'I want to be straightforward: What's the use of saying nice things that sound good?
'What I want to say here is (about) those videos that were circulated, I did not want to get involved.
'But when things heated up, of course I will ask the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) about it,' the Prime Minister said, assuring that thorough investigations are ongoing in this case.
He was commenting on videos implicating state ministers and assemblymen, accusing them of allegedly receiving bribes in the controversial mining prospecting scandal in Sabah.
Anwar said people had started to question why he did not intervene and made it sound as if he was trying to help cover up the alleged corruption.
'But I am not a dictator. We are not a country of perception. These things cannot be handled based on perception, accusation and slander,' Anwar said when opening the Kaamatan Festival, held at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association yesterday.
The Prime Minister also said that when fighting for state rights or asking for allocations, those who choose to work closely with the Federal Government can achieve more.
'For example in the PETRONAS and Petros Sarawak issue, we discussed properly with Abang Jo (Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg) and came to a solution,' he said.
Anwar said the Federal Govern-ment has no intention of stopping anyone or any state from being independent, and he has no issue giving Sabah and Sarawak more in terms of its revenue, including its oil and gas.
'However, we discuss and have close working relations rather than winning an argument by shouting and cursing,' he said.
Anwar said the government would always listen to views and requests from Sabah be it for infrastructure, social or economic developments.
He said the Federal Government has done much to bring peace, prosperity and development to Sabah and its people, adding that it was good working relations with the state that had brought about this success.
'This is not about (the upcoming state) election but about our responsibility and protecting our harmony.
'The state-federal relations must be maintained well,' said Anwar.
He said for the 13th Malaysia Plan, the inclusion of Sabah and other states into development plans and initiatives were part of the main agenda.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysia Sun
an hour ago
- Malaysia Sun
ASEAN leaders at Shangri-La Dialogue: 'We won't choose sides'
Singapore's Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 1, 2025. /VCG In a special address to the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2025 - rejected the pressure of choosing sides in geopolitical rivalries. Speaking at the final session of the dialogue on Sunday, Singaporean Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing echoed Anwar's stance. Out of geopolitical necessity, Southeast Asia must engage with both China and the United States as well as other nations, rather than take sides, he said. "If we have to choose sides, may we choose the side of principles - principles that uphold a global order where we do not descend into the law of the jungle, where the mighty do what they wish and the weak suffer what they must," Chan said. Their making clear the stance of taking no sides came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asia-Pacific countries to increase their military spending to 5 percent of GDP to counter perceived threats from China in a speech at the dialogue. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said Hegseth's attempts to drive a wedge between China and ASEAN countries will not work. "I think the U.S. attempt to divide China and Asia-Pacific countries is ineffective because it lacks persuasiveness," Da told media on the sideline of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, May 31, 2025. /VCG No to bloc confrontation In his first address at the the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth outlined the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" of the Trump administration since the U.S. president returned to the White House in January. The Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed his remarks, saying that he deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a "threat." "The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord. China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested strongly to the U.S.," said the ministry in a statement. Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, said the U.S. side has once again promoted its "Indo-Pacific Strategy" at the dialogue. After years of implementation, this strategy has achieved nothing beyond provoking incidents, creating crises, and destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region, Meng told China Media Group. The essence of America's "Indo-Pacific Strategy" is simply a tool for hegemony, he said. Militarily, it promotes bloc formation and confrontation - establishing mechanisms like the Quad between the U.S., Japan, India and Australia, and AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation with Australia and the United Kingdom; politically, it forces nations to choose sides; technologically, it erects "small yard, high fences" barriers; and economically, its trade wars and tariff policies push for decoupling between economies, and it also imposes coercion against others based on values, Meng explained. "This has artificially divided the Asia-Pacific region into competing blocs," he said. Shen Chen, deputy director of the Department of International Political Theory at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the U.S. "Indo-Pacific Strategy" heightens regional tensions, embodying its practice of hegemonism and power politics. "Its very purpose is to perpetuate U.S. dominance by sacrificing regional peace and stability for its own interests," Shen told CGTN. A police officer walks on patrol during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, May 30, 2025. /VCG China's Asian security model: A better choice for region Zhang Chi, a member of the Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, said China's Asian security model aligns with the common interests of all Asian nations and charts a practical path for the region to safeguard its prosperity and stability. At a central conference on work related to neighboring countries in April, China, for the first time, proposed the Asian security model that features sharing weal and woe, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and prioritizing dialogue and consultation. Shen, the CASS professor, said that the Asian security model demonstrates fundamental differences from the U.S. "Indo-Pacific Strategy." Emphasizing win-win cooperation and equal consultation, the Asian security model is committed to safeguarding regional peace and prosperity, he said. Aligned with the shared interests of all Asian nations, this model represents an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial approach to security governance, Shen added. He also criticized the U.S. demand for Asian nations to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP as "both unreasonable and unrealistic." That would serve America's strategic self-interest, but it risks pushing Asia Pacific into an arms race, exacerbates regional tensions, and runs counter to the shared aspirations of regional countries for peace and development, said Shen. He said while some nations might waver under U.S. pressure, most will remain clear-eyed about the U.S. demand's irrationality. The Asian security model proposed by China offers a better alternative, said Shen, adding that regional countries prefer partnering with China and other major countries to uphold security through peace and collaboration - not following the U.S. down the path of military expansion. Read more: Shangri-La Dialogue: China says it rejects unilateralism, bullying Experts slam Hegseth's remarks at Shangri-La Dialogue as provocative, harmful to regional stability Source: CGTN
Malaysiakini
2 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
Can Anwar escape hairdryer treatment at White House?
COMMENT | Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that he had written to US President Donald Trump, seeking his support to organise a meeting between Asean and the United States. It is unlikely that Trump will accord US-Asean status, as he prefers bilateral trade negotiations between individual countries, believing he will have better negotiating power and perhaps be easier to shout down. However, if Anwar believes it will be a repeat of the orchestrated trip by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in 2017, where the latter, among others, offered to help Trump "make America great again," he is mistaken. Although Najib told Parliament that he did not pay to meet Trump, it was subsequently revealed in court hearings that Grammy Award-winning rapper...
Malaysiakini
2 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
Zafrul wants to join PKR
Good morning. Here's what you should know today. Key Highlights Zafrul wants to join PKR Sabah graft cover-up 'perception' Hannah beats Kamarul in court Zafrul wants to join PKR Local politics were delivered another shock on Friday when Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz quit Umno. With just six months remaining on his senator tenure, Zafrul wants to join PKR. Umno is not happy, especially since Zafrul did not relinquish his minister post and is demanding that this be rectified. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, however, appears keen to keep Zafrul in cabinet. HIGHLIGHTS Sabah graft cover-up 'perception' Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim denies any attempts to cover up the Sabah corruption scandal involving videos of assemblypersons talking about taking bribes. He said the cover-up allegations were just "perception". Instead, he said the MACC was just being thorough in doing its job. He also said that the prime minister should not be investigator, prosecutor, and executioner - because that is a dictator's job. HIGHLIGHTS Hannah beats Kamarul in court The High Court found Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff guilty of defaming Hannah Yeoh for claiming she wanted to turn Malaysia into a Christian nation. The judge found that Kamarul had failed to establish a defence of justification and fair comment. However, no apology was ordered as the judge deemed it would be insincere. Kamarul was ordered to pay Yeoh RM400,000 in damages, as well as RM80,000 in costs. He will be appealing the outcome. HIGHLIGHTS Views that matter In case you missed it Other news that matter
