Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will not bow to pressure to alter national policies toward racial dominance, pledging fairness for all Malaysians.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has asserted that he will not bow to pressure from certain quarters seeking to alter national policies to favour racial dominance, solely for the sake of political survival.
He said that the status of the Malay language as the national language, Islam as the religion of the Federation, and the special rights of the Malays and Bumiputeras are not matters to be disputed.
At the same time, he gave his assurance that he would remain committed to ensuring justice, well-being, and happiness for every citizen, regardless of their racial or religious background.
Anwar noted that although some have urged him to adjust national policies to prioritise racial dominance in order to maintain political power, he remains steadfast in his principle of leading Malaysia as a multi-ethnic nation.
“Nowadays, wherever I go, people tell me, ‘Anwar, you must adjust the policy, it must be Malay, Malay dominance. Otherwise, you won’t survive.’ My response is: I want to survive as a Malaysian leader who loves this country.”
“I want to uphold the principles of our nation and our Constitution,” he said while speaking at the National-Level Deepavali Celebration 2026 in Little India, Brickfields, today.
Also present were Minister of National Unity Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Minister of Communications Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, and president of the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) Datuk Seri N. Gobalakrishnan.
Meanwhile, Anwar stressed that the MADANI Government’s approach was to ensure welfare assistance was distributed based on people’s actual needs, regardless of race, in line with efforts to ensure that all segments of society benefited from the country’s development.
He said this approach was reflected in initiatives such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), as well as the RM200 assistance provided to every school pupil in January, regardless of the type of school attended.
“We give every schoolchild RM200. Why? Because we care about their future,” he said.
He also urged Malaysians to uphold the spirit of togetherness, mutual respect and appreciation for the country’s religious, cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity to preserve national harmony.
“Despite our differences in skin colour, religion, culture, language and ethnicity, we share a common humanity. We respect and value one another. That is how Malaysia must remain united and prosper as a nation,” he said.
