‘Party members free to criticise me, it’s part of democracy’

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that his party members freely questioning his administration’s policies and actions were a testimony to his reform agenda.

He said this in an interview aired on CNN, where journalist Christiane Amanpour questioned the criticism hurled by PKR MP Hassan Abdul Karim, who claimed that Anwar had ditched his decades-long fight against corruption.

“Look at it positively, a member of my own party criticising me, it’s a very democratic process.

“Now his criticism on the issue … what do you expect me to do? Do I then instruct the attorney-general to change his decision?” he asked.

Hassan was vocal about his disappointment towards Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) earlier this month.

The Pasir Gudang MP told Reuters that Anwar was more concerned about the survival of his administration and power, rather than the reform agenda that he had promised to the people.

Amanpour then grilled the prime minister about Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s arrest, who was later charged with making seditious remarks against the Selangor ruler.

Anwar responded that laws must be respected, especially when it involves the royal institution.

“The law is there. Unless we are able to make some adjustments to the law, then we can consider whether to charge or not.

“The royalty system has its paraphernalia. I think the need to protect the institution is what the people have decided since independence. That is the system we inherited.

“When a person is deemed (to have insulted or is) abusive of the ruler and the charge is preferred by the attorney-general. I mean there is the law, (and) until we are able to amend the law, the law persists,” he said.

Anwar then stressed that his critics would not be charged under sedition laws, despite him being “abused” on a daily basis.

“I can’t be criticised for the (actions of the) prosecution, that’s purely their decision, particularly when you touch on the ruler.

“If the issue is (about) the criticism against the prime minister and I took action, then it’s valid, your criticism is valid, otherwise, we have to deal with it,” he said.

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