ANWAR Ibrahim was not able to handle the Asian financial crisis in 1997 when he was given the opportunity, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

Speaking in the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast hosted by Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, the former prime minister said Anwar was following advice from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during his absence.

He had to cut short his leave only to set up an independent committee consisting of economists, lawyers and financiers.

“I realised when I gave him the opportunity he couldn’t handle it. He did not understand the problem.

“Anwar was the acting prime minister as I was on leave and he followed the IMF and the World Bank’s advice.

“I formed the committee because we did not have experts and I brought Anwar along but he still wanted to listen to the IMF and the World Bank.

“I told him, if we follow the IMF or the World Bank, we will not have the money to pay our salaries.”

The 1997 financial crisis was the catalyst that caused the tense relationship between Dr Mahathir and Anwar.

Eventually, Anwar was sacked and accused of homosexuality and corruption.

That accusation and arrest caused a nationwide protest known today as the Reformasi movement.

Dr Mahathir also slammed Anwar for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge not amounting to acquittal in the Umno president’s 47 graft charges.

“When he was not the PM, he said one thing, but when he became the PM, he was saying something else.

“Under his watch, someone with 47 graft charges was set free and someone with four graft charges was sentenced to seven years in jail with a fine and whipping,” he said, referring to former Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Dr Mahathir was then asked why he accepted Anwar as an Umno member.

“He was religious and could inject some Islamic image if he joined us.

“We hoped for the best but it was not as we expected,” he added.

Anwar was sworn in as the country’s 10th prime minister in 2022 while Dr Mahathir was badly defeated in the last general election.

Anwar defeated Bersatu’s deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu in Tambun, Perak.

Dr Mahathir lost his deposit in Langkawi as he contested under the Pejuang banner, a party he co-founded after leaving Bersatu.

Anwar formed the unity government with the backing of Umno lawmakers including MPs from Sabah and Sarawak. – November 13, 2023.