PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim fired his first salvo against corruption by warning cabinet ministers that anyone involved in bribery or misuse of power will be booted out immediately. 

Anwar said he would not compromise on such matters in the unity government he leads. 

“I have informed the cabinet ministers I have chosen that first and foremost, there should be no corruption. 

“I have also informed all component party leaders that if any minister is involved in corruption, I will seek their mandate to sack them immediately,” he said in his speech at Program Pertemuan Mahabbah Perdana Menteri Bersama Ulama dan Asatizah in Putrajaya today. 

The prime minister said the reminder is not a political gimmick, but rather his confidence that he can free the country of corruption.

Anwar reminded every lawmaker to prove that the political arena is not a platform to show off their wealth or power, which will only cause a dispute over the authority of Islam.

“I want to prove there are Malays who use their power to defend Islam; I want to prove there are Malays who uphold the principles of mercy and justice in Malaysia. We must always be vigilant so division can be avoided,” he said. 

Anwar said he would ensure entities such as the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission are always transparent in carrying out their duties, apart from the fact that no one can escape punishment meted out by the court.

The prime minister said he had been given the mandate to lead at a time the country’s debt has exceeded RM1 trillion – a situation that requires better governance.

“I have been given the mandate with regard to the debt of over RM1 trillion from agencies that were reviewed to find the leakages, and this is not ‘fitnah’ (slander).

“I’ve worked hard to scrutinise all the files and we will delay several projects, re-examine or cancel (them)… if we want to spend, we must be thorough, this is a matter of governance,” he said.

As such, he said management of the country must be done following the right order and rules.

“I remember for example, flood mitigation projects were approved spontaneously.

“I asked for a postponement and for a review. I will go to the Finance Ministry tomorrow to re-examine the matter,” he said, adding that the issue of approving flood mitigation projects is true and not slander.

On Tuesday, Anwar, who is also finance minister, ordered a review of RM7 billion worth of approvals under the RM15 billion flood mitigation project that was conducted through direct negotiation instead of a tender process.

Meanwhile, he called on the roles of traditional Islamic institutions such as tahfiz centres and pondok schools to continue to be strengthened as the country’s fortress. – Bernama, December 11, 2022.