‘I’m in no hurry to take over as PM’: Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim

PONTIAN, Nov 12, 2019, The Star. PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated that he is in no hurry to take over as prime minister. He said that many people were spreading all sorts of rumours including Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “game” to deceive the people, The Straits Times reported.

“We have an agreement. We want to have a peaceful political climate and a peaceful transition of power,” he said during a Pakatan Harapan ceramah here on Monday (Nov 11) ahead of the Tanjung Piai by-election.

He added that it was important for Pakatan to work hard to improve the country’s economy and to distribute wealth equally to everyone.

“We do not want policies which make the rich richer and the poor poorer,” he said, adding that issues such as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal had marred the country’s image and caused worries to international investors.

He urged voters to support their Pakatan candidate in the Tanjung Piai by-election to enable the coalition to continue with their agenda to revive the country and fight corruption.

The by-election for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat is being held following the death of Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, who was also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, on Sep 21.

In GE14, Dr Md Farid won the seat with a slim 524-vote majority over Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng and PAS’ Nordin Othman.

The by-election this Saturday will see a six-cornered fight between Jeck Seng, Barisan Jemaah Ismiah Se-Malaysia’s (Berjasa) president Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Pakatan’s Karmaine Sardini, Gerakan deputy secretary-general Wendy Subramaniam, independents Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar and Ng Chuan Lock.