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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has fired back at his political opponents, challenging corrupt leaders to return billions in allegedly stolen assets before demanding his resignation.
Speaking at the launch of the 2025 National Day celebrations in Muar, Johor, on Sunday, Anwar aimed his remarks at politicians who, he said, use racial rhetoric to mask their corruption.
“Some political families have assets worth RM4 billion, others sit on RM1.2 billion in wealth, yet they shamelessly shout about ‘defending the Malays’,” Anwar said, without naming specific individuals.
The Prime Minister called on these leaders to return their wealth to the state and the Malay community before claiming to be their defenders.
“How much do you have now? RM2 billion? Fine, return RM1.5 billion to the government and the Malays – that would be the right thing to do,” he said.
Witty Response to Calls for Resignation
When faced with chants of “Anwar Turun” (Anwar step down), the Prime Minister responded with humour.
Anwar said he had already “turun ke Muar” (come down to Muar), drawing laughter from the crowd.
He also appeared to reference recent calls for his resignation, saying those demanding he step down should first return the billions they allegedly took from the people.
“Billions of ringgit is a huge amount that must be returned to the country and its people,” he said.
@nadi.daily "Yang kita buat turunkan hutang baru, jangan ada tambahan hutang baru. Sebab yang nak bayar esok anak-anak kita." – PM @Anwar Ibrahim #anwaribrahim #pmx #malaysiamadani #malaysia #johor ♬ original sound – Nadi Daily
Anti-Corruption Drive Not About Revenge
The Prime Minister emphasised that his administration’s anti-corruption efforts are aimed at cleaning up the country, not seeking revenge.
He stressed that national and state leaders must not steal from the people and the country, and must uphold their responsibilities to both the public and to God.
“Times have changed. We must correct the behaviour of some leaders who abuse their power for personal and family gain, so that our next generation can have a better future,” Anwar said.
The ‘Turun Anwar’ rally held in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (26 July) saw an estimated 18,000 participants calling for Anwar’s resignation.
Former prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin attended the rally.
Dr. Mahathir made several comments aimed at Anwar during the “Turun Anwar” rally, which entertained the crowd significantly.
@mrdzi Ucapan Tun Mahathir & Abah muhyiddin- Himpunan TURUN ANWAR Dataran Merdeka 26 Julai 2025 #bersatu #himpunan #fyp #rakyatbangkit #tolakanwar #turunanwar #kekaltenang #perikatannasional #pnbest #LearnOnTikTok #ketimbang #kerajaangagal #madanon #foryoupage #tunmahathir #selamatkanmalaysia #tsmy ♬ original sound – @pakciksaka (3)
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