TEN minutes into his speech in the Dewan Rakyat while tabling a bill on the government’s consolidated fund, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was interrupted by an MP, who wanted the leader to proceed with his speech on the so-called mini budget.

Anwar calmly responded that he would get to his speech on the motion proper. He asked for two minutes to express his gratitude to his friends in PAS – especially the “elders” – for explaining to their grassroots the “travesty of justice” he suffered.

Anwar said in Bahasa Melayu:

“Saya tidak pernah menafikan sumbangan [dan] khidmat mereka yang tidak melayani fitnah dan menganggap ini konspirasi.” He said he had many friends. He did. The Hansard bears witness to this.

On November 3, 2003, when Shah Alam PM Mohd Zin Mohamed moved for a motion of confidence in prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the fifth lawmaker to stand up to debate the motion was Yan MP Nasharudin Mat Isa (PAS), who said:

“Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Saya bangun mewakili Parti PAS dan rakan-rakan pembangkang yang lain. Pertamanya mengalu-alukan dan merakamkan ucapan tahniah di atas pelantikan Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, sebagai perdana menteri Malaysia yang kelima….”

Toward the end of his speech, the Yan MP called on the fifth prime minister in the following words:

“Saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mendesak Yang Amat Berhormat perdana menteri yang baru melakukan:

1. Memulihkan amalan demokrasi yang telah dicabul semasa pemerintahan 22 tahun mantan Perdana Menteri yang lalu;

2. Menghapuskan ISA dan membebaskan semua tahanan ISA dan membicarakan mereka di mahkamah terbuka;

3. Membicarakan semula mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim…”

The last was greeted with applause.

Anwar’s humility in acknowledging his friends despite being goaded and insulted the day before is what the new Malaysia needs in abundance. – December 21, 2022.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.