Malaysia PM Anwar says time needed to reform governance and economy, blames previous leaders for ‘systemic corruption’

ANWAR: DON’T EXPECT ME TO Control THE ATTORNEY – GENERAL

In a situation involving Mr. Ahmad Zahid’s donation foundation, Malaysia dropped all 47 corruption charges on September 4. This decision drew criticism from polite societies, legitimate organizations, and political parties.

The prosecutors requested and was granted by the court a release that did not amount to an indictment, which means it has the right to drop the charges or reopen the case later, if fresh information come to light.

On Wednesday, Mr. Anwar asserted that the Attorney General ( AG ) had” sole discretion” to reach this conclusion and that he had been” tough” with the AG to make sure the court could understand the decision.

He emphasized that the AG in question, Idrus Harun, & nbsp, was chosen by former premier Muhyiddin Yassin, who is currently in charge of the opposition Perikatan Nasional ( PN ) coalition, rather than him.” He has given very detailed arguments in favor of that particular decision, and I think we have to respect that ,” he said.

Since Mr. Idrus’ contract has since expired, Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh, the current AG & nbsp, has taken his place since September 6.

The Attorney General’s Chambers had formerly outlined 11 justifications for its choice, including, among others, the conclusion it reached based on the fresh information and arguments put forth in the event.

Mr. Anwar & nbsp reaffirmed that it was up to him to make the choice and that, in the grand scheme of things, he had inherited a system that was” quite rotten” with corruption.

However, he acknowledged that Mr. Idrus’ judgement had raised questions about his capacity to advance his anti-graft plan as the public began to wonder if Malaysia was reverting to its previous, dishonest practices.

Therefore, it appears that you are returning to the program that was established by previous prime officials. Therefore, any choice made by the AG will become scrutinized. Do you think I’ll finally persuade the AG to change his mind, though? No, he replied.

Time will tell, they say. They may realize after some time that I am determined to see that this nation develops into a mature, responsible republic. guilty, with a distinct division of authority between the executive and judicial branches.

While his presidency has begun working on a document Bill to accomplish this, Mr. Anwar claimed that the previous administration had pledged to distinguish the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Public Prosecutors Office, but” everything was done.”

The establishment of two specific task forces by Mr. Anwar’s government on Tuesday was intended to launch institutional reforms that would distinguish the AG from its positions as public prosecutor and legal advisor to the government.

” Some nations do separate, while others do not.” Making sure there are honest citizens there is more important to me than anything else. Because you can split and still have a crooked system, he claimed.

Without naming any specific individuals, Mr. Anwar also criticized former prime ministers and cabinet members for” amassing wealth ,” claiming that he needs more time to restore public trust.

And with your extravagant and colorful lifestyles, you can’t expect people to trust you because you must be extremely wealthy the time you become prime minister. However, this needs to change, the premier told CNA’s Melissa Goh and Afifah Ariffin & nbsp during the interview.

And Mr. Anwar thinks that by concentrating on bettering establishment, he will be able to regain public support at a time when many people are casting their ballots along racial and religious lines.

He said, referring to the parties that make up PN,” Yes, we have experienced this more surprising and somewhat concerning phenomenon of the Malays’ support for the Islamist party and the Malaysian republican party.”

” That is concerning because you ignore management, corruption, and financial policies while using the racial and religious card.” How long will it last? No.

The outcomes of two by-elections held in Johor on Saturday, when his Pakatan Harapan ( PH ) ruling coalition retained both a parliamentary and state seat, according to Mr. Anwar, have demonstrated this.

And I think it will be very helpful if we have the chance to spread the right knowledge and concentrate on the business and management, he continued.

Recent Payment Plans” OBSOLETE”

Mr. Anwar announced plans to implement targeted subsidies and increase the nation’s tax base in what some analysts have referred to as” ambitious” economic reforms during a mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan that was tabled in Parliament on Monday.

In the energy industry, where society’s richest will give a normal level and the bad will still be able to receive subsidies, Mr. Anwar told CNA that the government has attempted to do this through” subsidy rationalization.”

He continued,” And this would spread to other areas.” However, the amount of leaks and spend is more significant. If this can be stopped, billions of rupiah may be saved in subsidies.

Additionally, Mr. Anwar urged the creation of precise, mission-driven plans for market change that could advance both the sector and the economy.

On the subject of the energy transition, also. We have solar power, but regrettably, there are no specific programs that are clear, he said.

In order to convince the general public and traders that there is a market in this country that greatly benefits the economy, we have subsequently developed an energy transition strategy.

When questioned about the belief that the government cannot carry out all of these ambitious plans because it is constantly derailed by political unrest, Mr. Anwar insisted that he already has the backing of 147 of the 222 members of Parliament, which amounted to’ strong lot’.

I ask my coworkers,” Usually, why are you so picky and obsessed with having a two-thirds lot?” Often a government can get by with some responsible foe, he claimed.

According to Mr. Anwar, the current criticism has the option of signing a Confidence and Supply Agreement with the government, which would probably forge bipartisan cooperation and maintain social security.

This comes at a time when the opposition has recently threatened to test non-electoral methods of overthrowing the current administration.

In order to strengthen political stability in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian government, which was then led by the United Malays National Organization( UMNO ), had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the opposition bloc PH in 2021. & nbsp,

The opposition has been confronted by the negotiating group again, but they have not reacted. Mr. Anwar asserted that they are only requesting benefits, initiatives, and money, not discussions.

” And in a political system, this is obviously not an advanced procedure. Political responsibilities is something I’ve often used because it’s important for both the government and the opposition to comprehend.