HUMAN rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim has taken a jab at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent donation of 260 sacrificial cows in conjunction with this year’s Eid al-Adha a.k.a. Hari Raya Haji.

Caveating her opinion as “not an attack on Islam, ibadah (worship) and the spirit of sacrifice”, she loathed that what has unfolded before Malaysians “is something far more dangerous – the politicisation of faith”.

“And this is about whether PMX understands the difference between sacrifice and spectacle,” the Orang Asli advocate hit out in a recent YouTube rant.

“At first glance, it sounds noble. It sounds religious. It sounds generous. But let us ask the uncomfortable question: is this really korban or is this political theatre?”

Editor’s Note: PMX had on the eve of Hari Raya Aidil Adha (May 26) donated 260 sacrificial cattle in for distribution to the needy in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency (his once family fortress till eldest daughter Nurul Izzah failed to defend it in the November 2022 national polls).

Of the total, 155 cattle were distributed under the Korban MADANI programme across three state constituencies in Permatang Pauh, namely Seberang Jaya (54), Penanti (67) and Permatang Pasir (34) while the remaining 105 were donated to the Seberang Perai Tengah District Mosque.

Additionally, PMX also donated one cow each to media practitioners in four states, namely to the Kelab Media Elit Kedah (KMEK), the Pahang Press, Kelab Media Johor (KMJ) and the Negeri Sembilan Media Club in appreciation of the role of journalists and media as a bridge between the government and the public.

Delving further, Siti Kasim highlighted 10 reasons as to why she thinks that PMX’s goodwill gesture has swayed from the sacred korban spirit:

#1. Korban or cultivating influence: “Since when did journalists become a priority category for korban distribution? Are they the poorest in society? Are they the most marginalised?

“Or are they the most useful? Because when a PM gives cows to media groups, we must ask: Is this ibadah or is this influence-building?”

#2. Money from whose pocket:

“Now we come to the most critical question — one that has not been clearly answered.

“Is this Anwar’s personal money? Or government resources? If it’s personal, then declare it openly, transparently without ambiguity. But if it involves public funds, government-linked bodies or GLCs, then we’ve a serious issue.

“Because then taxpayers’ money is being used for a religious act that is publicly branded with political identity. And that’s not charity but politicisation of religion using public resources.”

#3. Religion turned into performance” “Korban is one of the most meaningful acts in Islam. It represents humility, sacrifice, submission and sincerity.

“It’s supposed to be deeply personal. But what are we seeing today? Cameras, announcements, headlines – WE SEE OPTICS.

“Korban is meant to humble you – and not to promote you. When leaders turn acts of worship into PR (public relations) exercises, they don’t elevate religion – they cheapen it.”

#4. Selective distribution: “Let’s talk about fairness. We see cows being given to organised groups, associations and media bodies. But what about the Orang Asli communities? Stateless families? Hardcore poor in remote areas?

“What we’re seeing isn’t universal compassion – it is selective generosity. And selective generosity isn’t justice. Why are the well-connected getting visibility while the truly vulnerable remain invisible?”.

#5. The “reform” hypocrisy: “PMX didn’t come into power as a traditional politician. He came in as a reformist, a critic of old politics, a man who promised change

“He spoke against patronage, abuse of power, political hand-outs. But today, what do we see? The same old playbook: symbolic gestures, targeted distribution, publicised generosity. Let me be blunt: This looks exactly like the politics he once condemned.”

#6. Convenient timing and optics: “Accidental acts don’t happen quietly months before or after. They happen during festive seasons under maximum visibility when public sentiment matters most.

“So again, we ask: Is this about Aidil Adha or about political optics? Because true sacrifice doesn’t wait for cameras.”

#7. Populism over real change: “We see a pattern where symbolic acts are prioritised while structural reforms are delayed.

“Malaysia today is facing rising cost of living, wage stagnation and institutional weaknesses And yet we get headlines about cows. Malaysia doesn’t need symbolic cows; it needs systemic reform.”

#8. Misplaced priorities: “Many Malaysian households are struggling with families cutting expenses, dealing with inflation and worrying about their future yet the leadership is focused on optics, gestures and appearances.

“The rakyat need economic relief for their daily sacrifices but the leaders are staging annual sacrifice. Such is the reality.”

#9. Dangerous blurring of state and religion: “Now we come to a deeper concern. If government-linked resources are involved, then this is not just about optics but about principle.

“Because once you allow state resources to be used for religious acts tied to political figures, you blur an important line.

“Because when state power is used to perform religious acts, the line between governance and propaganda disappears. And when that line disappears, trust disappears with it.”

#10. What true sacrifice looks like: “Let’s return to the meaning of Aidil Adha. The lesson is not about distribution.

“The real sacrifice for a leader is not giving away animals, making public donations or appearing generous.

“Real sacrifice is giving up power when necessary, rejecting patronage, standing against political convenience, making hard, unpopular decisions for the rakyat and doing what’s right – not what’s popular.”

Bottom line

At the end of the day, Siti Kasim contended that attempts by Madani backers to defend PMX in that “cow donations by Malaysian PMs aren’t unprecedented” are simply irrelevant.

Bringing up that (disgraced former premier Datuk Seri) Najib Razak once received 793 cows as corporate donations doesn’t answer the question – it proves the problem.
If past leaders blurred the line between charity and influence, repeating it today isn’t tradition – it’s regression.
“Najib did it” is not a defence – it’s an admission. Malaysians voted for reform, not a recycling of the same political culture with better branding.
Whether it was Najib or anyone else is irrelevant. The real issue is transparency, source of funds and whether public office is being used to legitimise politically beneficial donations.
That’s not precedent – that’s exactly what people wanted to change. Let me be clear here, I’ve no real beef with Anwar but the’ steaks’ [sic] are high for him. – May 31, 2026

Images credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook

The post Siti Kasim: 10 ways PMX has derailed ‘korban’ spirit for political theatrics with 260 cows as trade-offs first appeared on Focus Malaysia.