OPPOSITION leader Hamzah Zainudin (Larut-PN) has told Anwar Ibrahim to take legal action against a foreign news agency for publishing a news report accusing him to be the first full-blown homosexual prime minister in an Islamic nation. 

Hamzah, referring to the news report titled “Malaysia’s first full-blown homosexual prime minister” from a relatively unknown Italian news website, Agenzia Nova, said such report insults the prime minister and urged actions to be taken to prove the accusation wrong. 

“Stern action must be taken. 

“The government is responsible to inform the entire world that the Tambun MP (Anwar) had been granted a royal pardon on this matter by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” Hamzah said when debating the motion of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat today,

However, even before Hamzah completed his sentence, a shouting match ensued, with backbenchers telling him to stop reading the particular point on homosexuality.  

Hamzah told backbenchers to allow him to finish his speech. 

The Larut MP then said the prime minister should take action against those who defame him. 

“Don’t just be a village hero. He should not be just taking action against those within the country, but also against the foreign news agency,” he reiterated. 

Hamzah said the world should not be allowed to believe such allegations. 

“Don’t let the world to believe that the prime minister of Malaysia is a homosexual. I urge the PM to sue the news agency,” he said.

This lead to further shouts in the house. 

R.S.N. Rayer (Jelutong-PH) then called on Speaker Johari Abdul to demand Hamzah to retract his rude remark.

Anwar had faced prison time for his sodomy case in the past. 

In 2015, Anwar was jailed for five years after being accused of sodomy, a charge he described as a politically motivated attempt by then prime minister Najib Razak to end his career. 

In 2018, Anwar received a full pardon from the king and was released from the prison. 

Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where the offence carries a jail term of up to 20 years.

The former home minister indirectly labelled Umno as a “chameleon” for changing shades to suit their preference. 

He said Umno had sacked Anwar from the party in 1998 over his sexuality issue but claimed that they are willing to work with the former now and elect him as prime minister. 

“Umno didn’t want him then but now they are willing to work with him,” Hamzah said. 

Hamzah called the entire motion of no confidence a gimmick. 

He added that the memorandum of understanding between the members of the government was restrictive and an insult to the Malaysian parliamentary process as all members were forced to vote for a single candidate. – December 19, 2022.