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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has firmly rejected opposition allegations that the Malaysian government transferred 5,207 hectares of land to Indonesia as compensation for three villages near the Sabah-Kalimantan border.
Speaking after Friday prayers at Masjid Ar-Rahimah in Gombak today, Anwar criticised the opposition for spreading what he described as falsehoods and exploiting freedom of speech for political gain.
“This is the opposition’s problem. They use freedom of speech to spout nonsense, lie, invoke Islam, misuse facts.
“If they ask for an explanation from the Prime Minister, that is acceptable. But this is not the case; they pass judgment and lie continuously. I cannot accept this reasoning. This is not the behaviour appropriate for the opposition in our country. They must be responsible,” he said.
When pressed on whether the matter should be debated in Parliament, Anwar insisted that the allegations were defamatory and unworthy of formal discussion, reiterating that accountability rests with those making the claims.
“No explanation is necessary. They must be responsible, making accusations, lying, defaming continuously. We cannot accept such poor and corrupt political methods,” he stated.
The opposition, led by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, has called for the issue to be discussed in Parliament, arguing that it concerns national sovereignty despite Anwar’s denial of any land transfer. Hamzah, Member of Parliament for Larut, stressed that the matter warranted parliamentary scrutiny because of its potential implications on Malaysia’s territorial rights.
The controversy centres on reports that three villages in Kabupaten Nunukan, North Kalimantan, are now claimed to be within Malaysian territory following a border realignment between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Anwar has denied these reports, emphasising that the government will seek a diplomatic and mutually agreeable resolution.
“The government will conduct proper negotiations to find a solution regarding the three villages that have reportedly fallen within Malaysian territory due to the border realignment between the two countries,” Anwar said, signalling a commitment to dialogue while rejecting what he considers politically motivated false accusations.
By framing the opposition’s claims as deliberate misinformation and asserting the government’s intention for measured diplomatic engagement, Anwar positions his administration as both vigilant over Malaysia’s sovereignty and intolerant of politically driven defamation. - January 30, 2026