INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police Razarudin Husain today urged all quarters not to trivialise threats made against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, or label them as political manoeuvres for personal gain, media reports said.

Saying the threats are real, Razarudin reportedly said they were due to Anwar being vocal on the Palestinian cause and the displacement of Gazans.

Razarudin said he had spoken to his deputy Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay and his directors on Anwar’s security issue.

He said the prime minister may have been informed of threats from other countries, which are currently being verified by Special Branch.

Reports quoted Razarudin as saying Anwar was likely choosing not to disclose the full details of the threats for fear of offending the countries that shared the information.

“Given Malaysia’s political climate, information related to espionage, the prime minister’s security or the economy may require face-to-face discussions.

“We won’t use phones or any other means to maintain the confidentiality of this information. We will only discuss it with the relevant individuals to avoid public panic.”

No reports have been lodged against the country that issued a threat to Anwar, Razaruddin added.

Anwar previously disclosed at the “Malaysia with Palestine” rally he had received multiple threats from Western countries following Malaysia’s firm stand, support and commitment to defending the rights of the Palestinian people as well as criticism levelled against the Israeli government.

Razarudin reportedly said aside from Anwar’s security, they are also monitoring possible economic sabotage.

“The Special Branch has a division that assesses economic sabotage. But what is important to me is the safety of our prime minister, because if anything happens to him, I will bear the shame.

“As the IGP, it is my responsibility to ensure safety and public order in Malaysia. So if the IGP is ashamed, the whole police force will be ashamed, too, for not being able to protect one prime minister,” he added. – November 1, 2023.