OPPOSITION leader Anwar Ibrahim is the best prime minister candidate the country can have, Lim Kit Siang said.

Speaking at a luncheon in Sarawak, the DAP veteran said only Anwar and Pakatan Harapan could create a pluralistic Malaysia for all races and religions who have made the country their home.

“For Malaysia to become a world-class great country, we need to unite all races, religions and regions within the country,” said Lim.

The former lawmaker said caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has to pretend to believe Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who had promised to make the Umno vice president prime minister again.

He then asked if Malaysians would want Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to return to power after betraying the people’s mandate in 2020 or would they rather have a religious extremist like PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang as the head of the country.

“Anwar is far better than Ismail, Zahid, Muhyiddin and Hadi combined. I do not think Ismail believes in Zahid even after the Umno president had promised to make him PM again but he has to pretend.”

“Do we want a back stabber like Muhyiddin or an extremist like Hadi as our PM.”

“BN and PN do not accept Malaysia as a multiracial country, only Anwar and PH can guarantee Malaysia to be a country for all races and religions.”

“This is why Anwar is our best hope compared to the other candidates from BN and PN,” Lim said.

The 81-year-old Lim added that PH’s 22 months in power was not a failure as it had successfully eradicated corruption during its tenure.

“If PH was a failure, Najib (former prime minister Najib Razak) would not be in jail now and Umno and BN leaders would not live in fear of being charged with corruption and going to jail.”

“We must renew our hope for a better Malaysia and let us do it on November 19, 2022,” he said, referring to the date when the general election will be held.