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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has declared that his unity government will shield no one from anti-corruption action, insisting that integrity and good governance must prevail even when investigations reach the highest levels of office.
Speaking in Tawau during the Ceramah PMX Sayang Sabah programme at Dewan Terbuka Merotai last night, Anwar said the administration’s pledge to combat graft applies without fear or favour.
“We must be firm. Previously, when a prime minister, minister or officer was accused, there would be a cover-up,” he said.
He added that even his own aide was not exempt from scrutiny. “I have a political secretary who is being investigated. I told the MACC this (yesterday) morning to proceed with the investigation. I do not care who is involved.
“But do not punish first — investigate first. Why? Because we cannot control everything. But we can follow the law and the rules.”
Anwar said decisive action against corruption was vital to safeguarding public trust and ensuring that national development was not derailed by entrenched abuses of power.
His remarks came after Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin resigned as the Prime Minister’s senior political secretary, saying he had been warned of attempts to discredit him and the Madani government.
Shamsul subsequently lodged a police report against businessman Albert Tei, stressing that no one should misuse his name or former position “to attempt to overthrow the government or damage the Prime Minister’s reputation”.
Anwar said in a statement that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was free to investigate the allegations involving Shamsul.
The MACC later confirmed it had launched an inquiry into claims that Tei had allegedly bribed Shamsul, with Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki saying both men would soon be called to give statements.
Turning to the wider political climate, Anwar condemned divisive and race-based rhetoric, saying such tactics “will not bring any benefit to the people and the country”. He affirmed that his administration remained committed to “integrity, good governance and the interests of the people”.
Rejecting the use of ethnic antagonism as a political tool, he said: “I do not campaign like others — the Bugis angry with the Malays, the Malays angry with the Chinese, Sabah angry with the Peninsula — I do not want any of that.” He emphasised the need to strengthen unity for the nation’s long-term future.
Anwar urged those aspiring to public office to uphold the people’s trust. “Whoever wants to be a representative of the people, whoever wants to govern Sabah, whoever wants to govern Malaysia must safeguard that trust. Raise the dignity of the people,” he said.
He criticised political actors who make extravagant promises simply to seize power and rejected claims that Sabah lacked the resources for development. The state, he insisted, holds substantial potential if managed with competence and transparency.
Anwar added that Sabah’s peace, rooted in harmony among its many ethnic communities, must be protected. Such cohesion, he said, remains fundamental to the stability and progress of Malaysia as a whole. - November 27, 2025