PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim’s attempt to compare the sitting prime minister to former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over alleged vindictiveness in dissident crackdowns is “totally absurd”.
In his reply to the PAS lawmaker’s statement of defence against his defamation suit, Anwar refuted the comparison while stressing that all investigation and prosecuting services in Malaysia act independently, impartially, and without fear or favour.
According to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, Awang’s comparison of the plaintiff to Dr Mahathir over alleged vindictiveness was defamatory and motivated by ill faith and that the defendant’s alleged defamatory statement was directed against him (Anwar).
“As such, the same (defendant’s statement) remains defamatory of the plaintiff. All reference to Mahathir by the defendant is totally irrelevant and ought not to have been made by the defendant,” said Anwar in his reply to the defence statement that was filed yesterday (May 30).
“In doing so, the defendant has raised aggravating circumstances in this suit against the plaintiff and the plaintiff shall be entitled to substantial aggravated damages.”
According to the Finance Minister, the comparison made by the defendant is untenable.
Awang, in his defence statement filed on April 4 this year, claimed that Anwar, when he was brought to court to face charges of power abuse in 1998, initiated the movement which labelled Dr Mahathir as “zalim” (cruel).
The PAS MP compared the controversial “Operasi Lalang” crackdown that was carried out by Dr Mahathir’s government with Anwar’s alleged prosecution of political opponents after he was appointed prime minister.
Awang claimed that Dr Mahathir’s government made the controversial move six years after he was appointed as prime minister, while Anwar’s alleged prosecution of his political enemies took place within three months of his (Anwar) appointment as prime minister.
“This comparison that I refer to is in terms of the length of time the prosecution was made against the political opponents from the date of appointment, which is ‘worse’ or ‘worst’ in the history of Malaysia, surpassing Dr Mahathir,” he clarified in his defence statement.
“I do not mean to compare the plaintiff with Dr Mahathir from other aspects that are not related to the political prosecution that I am talking about in my statement (in the Parliament lobby).”
Anwar filed the suit against Awang on March 3 over the latter’s allegedly defamatory remarks about the prime minister made at the Parliament lobby when attending a Dewan Rakyat sitting last Feb 21.
According to Anwar, the remarks, which were recorded in audio and video formats, had been made public.
Anwar said the remarks implied that he is a vindictive and vengeful person, and had abused his power as prime minister and finance minister by interfering, disrupting and arbitrarily instructing Malaysian law enforcers and prosecutors to fuel his own political agenda. – May 31, 2023
