I've been accused of everything, except sleeping with cows, Anwar says

I've been accused of everything, except sleeping with cows, Anwar says

Published: Sep 27, 2024 10:16 PM


Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has responded to countless accusations he has endured over his lengthy political career.

He said that old issues from decades ago are being resurfaced with the intent to defame and denigrate him, according to Berita Harian.

“Insult me as much as you want... for decades, I’ve been called a Jewish agent, an Israeli agent; having intercourse with men, with women… the only thing they haven’t said is having intercourse with cows.

“So, if you want to insult me... it doesn’t matter. But do it with manners and decorum. You know the law. If you want to pursue a case, I can talk about it, but I want to focus on moving forward,” he was quoted as saying during an event in Klang today.

He had similarly criticised the opposition last Saturday for frequently using his status as a former prisoner as capital to attack him, including by bringing up the sodomy cases against him.

In his speech today, Anwar reportedly said he is committed to ensuring the country’s stability despite the slander against him, to ensure the success of government policies.

“This is Madani, governance must be good. The old practices of stealing here and there when securing contracts, without tender… That must end. The leakages and theft must be stopped.

“That’s why it’s important to have confidence that when all of this is addressed, we will start to see positive changes,” he was quoted as saying.

Anwar also panned Perikatan Nasional leaders to declare their assets, which is one of the conditions under a draft memorandum of understanding for the opposition in exchange for access to certain parliamentary services and constituency development funds.

“They asked why the prime minister hasn’t declared (his assets)... I have no issue declaring mine. Instead, they claim declaring assets is a form of torture. You call it torture for merely being asked to declare assets? I’ve been jailed for more than 10 years.

“I don’t want to dwell on the past. I just want to focus on making this country greater and more successful, setting an example (for the world),” he added.