No room for tyranny of majority or minority, Anwar warns

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has issued a stern warning against tyranny, be it by majority or minority groups, amid a lawsuit questioning the validity of his status as MP and prime minister.

Speaking at a civil service assembly in Putrajaya, Anwar appeared to take aim at Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) president P Waythamoorthy, who had earlier initiated a lawsuit challenging Anwar’s appointment to Putrajaya.

“A prominent figure, who is now busy challenging a decision of the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, had previously declared that Malaysia is a cruel country (where) thousands of Indians were killed by the police (and) questioned the rights of the Malays.

“That is (someone from) a minority group… so, when I issue this warning, this is not a warning to the majority only. This is what I said as the tyranny of the minority, and we will not tolerate (as we have) zero tolerance for any form of racism and religious bigotry,” Anwar said in his speech.

The prime minister is understood to be referring to remarks made by Waythamoorthy circa 2011 when the president of the NGO Hindu Rights Action Force tabled his presentation on the plight of the Indian community to the Netherlands Parliament.

Malaysiakini’s checks, however, found that the video did not feature claims on the deaths of thousands of Indians at the police’s hands, nor have there been reports of Waythamoorthy making such assertions.

While Anwar did not name the individual he was referring to, Waythamoorthy told a press conference earlier this week that he had filed an originating summons against the former, claiming that Anwar’s status as MP and prime minister is unconstitutional.

Disqualification as MP ‘not revoked’

In the suit filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Waythamoorthy is seeking a declaration that Anwar’s disqualification as an MP “was never revoked” as part of his royal pardon.

The legal practitioner claimed that the matter involves misrepresentation and the misleading of the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Pahang ruler Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in Anwar’s appointment as prime minister.

Asserting that the matter has undermined the role of the Federal Constitution and the king’s powers, Waythamoorthy is also seeking a declaration that Anwar’s victory in the Tambun parliamentary seat during the 15th general election on Nov 19, 2022, and his subsequent appointment as prime minister on Nov 24 are null and void.

DAP’s Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan has since questioned the timing of the lawsuit, asserting that the legal action follows Waythamoorthy’s meeting with Bersatu leaders.

Syahredzan also described the former minister in the Prime Minister Department’s suit to disqualify Anwar as “frivolous and vexatious,” highlighting that Waythamoorthy had not previously taken issue with Anwar’s MP status, nor had he raised objections in the nearly three years Anwar had served as prime minister.

Perikatan Nasional has denied any involvement in Waythamoorthy’s suit, with the coalition’s chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan claiming that the latter’s action is a personal move in his capacity as a Malaysian citizen.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers has said that there is no issue of Anwar being disqualified as an MP and prime minister, as his royal pardon stated that he has been fully pardoned and regarded as a person who had never committed any offence.

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