KUALA LUMPUR – A PAS lawmaker has tried to taunt Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, claiming that the prime minister was portraying himself as a noble man despite being the sole MP to have been incarcerated.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat, Datuk Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (Pasir Puteh-PAS) took issue with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman’s speeches during his recent overseas trips, accusing him of tarnishing Malaysia’s name.
While the PAS man did not go into details, it is understood to be in reference to Anwar’s remarks on corruption committed by previous administrations.
“I am concerned with the conduct of our prime minister when he goes overseas. He should be promoting a clear national agenda and trade relations,” Nik Muhammad said when debating the royal address in Parliament here today.
“But when he arrives there, we see that his speeches would only hurt foreign investors’ confidence in our country.
“For example, his speech in Indonesia appears to have insulted Malaysians.
“I don't think I want to talk too much, but the prime minister must not just look upon other people as though he himself is very clean.
“I think no one in this house has ever been imprisoned, but our prime minister has. Although he has been pardoned, I would like to say, (he’s) not clean.”
For the record, Anwar was imprisoned twice previously, the first in 1999 for sodomy and corruption, while the second was in 2015, also for sodomy.
However, the PKR president has consistently maintained innocence, and was given a full royal pardon by then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V in May 2018 following PH’s general election victory.
Nik Zawawi’s remark that Anwar appeared to have insulted Malaysians during his speeches overseas provoked the ire of several government backbenchers, who accused the PAS MP of imputing improper motives to the prime minister.
After a brief shouting match, Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor said he was satisfied that Nik Zawawi had violated the Standing Orders and ordered the latter to withdraw his statement.
Nik Zawawi proceeded to do as instructed, but defended his remark that Anwar should not have spoken ill of the country, particularly with no court action taken yet.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is currently investigating alleged corruption committed by Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s former administration.
The former prime minister has insisted that he is not a suspect, and had given his statement to the MACC recently as a witness over the Jana Wibawa scheme for Bumiputera contractors. – The Vibes, February 20, 2023
