Gempur Rasuah Sabah calls Anwar 'confused leader'

Summary

• Gempur Rasuah Sabah secretariat calls Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim a “confused leader” after he heaped laurels on Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor despite the latter being implicated in a corruption scandal.

• Anwar’s silence on the matter had earlier courted criticism from others too.

The Gempur Rasuah Sabah secretariat criticised Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, calling him a "confused" leader with contradictory principles after he praised scandal-ridden Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor during an event recently.

“It is impossible for a prime minister to be so ignorant as to not follow the developments of the Sabah corruption scandal, which involves several state assemblypersons, the assembly speaker, and the Sabah chief minister,” it said in a statement today.

The group pointed out that during the event, Anwar had emphasised the importance of maintaining political stability - supposedly to focus on energy transition, industrial plans, and artificial intelligence - which are reshaping the global system.

“However, the premier was silent and seemingly endorsed the corruption scandal that has shocked the people of Sabah,” it added.

The secretariat was responding to news reports over a breaking of fast event in Sabah on Sunday, where Anwar reportedly commended Hajiji for being “calm and moderate” in facing political turmoil in the state.

His remarks drew criticism from a state NGO, which accused Anwar of straying from his zero-tolerance stance on corruption, and a Sabah Bersatu leader, who cried “double standards”.

Sabah Bersatu information chief Suhaimi Buang added that Anwar’s praises for Hajiji exposed the premier’s double standards when it comes to eradicating graft.

‘Remember past criticisms’

The secretariat recalled that Anwar and Pakatan Harapan leaders had previously visited Sabah to question the state's governance, infrastructure development and corruption issues.

“Anwar was even one of the most vocal political leaders in criticising (former Sabah chief minister and current governor) Musa Aman’s corruption case.

“Now, he smiles for a photo with Musa at the National Palace,” the secretariat lamented.

According to the secretariat, Anwar’s political rhetoric is outdated and no longer resonates with the younger generation.

“Instead, they evaluate governance structures based on integrity, honesty, and the current realities faced by the people in this state almost every day,” it said.

Assemblypersons implicated

Since last November, a businessperson has released nine videos and a trove of WhatsApp messages implicating the assemblypersons and the speaker in a corruption scandal.

He claimed that the nine were bribed in exchange for mineral exploration licenses.

The videos, which are being investigated by the MACC, also contained discussions of Hajiji purportedly issuing the licenses to assemblypersons who supported him during the 2022 political crisis.

Hajiji has claimed that the videos are an attempt to undermine his administration, while the businessperson has been accused of being part of a cartel seeking to monopolise mining in the state.

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