'I'm father of the nation': Anwar defends remarks on Najib apology

Anwar Ibrahim has angrily defended his statement welcoming an apology from Najib Razak, saying it is not fair to attack the jailed leader alone over the 1MDB scandal that was at the centre of a Pakatan Harapan (PH) campaign to topple the Barisan Nasional government six years ago.

Anwar said his response to Najib's apology last week - in which the former prime minister stopped short of admitting guilt over the billions of dollars in illegal transfers that triggered one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent years - was done in a responsible manner as the leader of the country.

"I am the prime minister, I am the father of the nation," he said during a speech in Perak yesterday.

"This man said something, what do you want me to do? I said we welcome it.

"Oh, (they become) angry! What's this! What kind of behaviour is this? What kind of people?" said Anwar.

On Oct 24, Najib in a rare apology read out by his eldest son Nizar said he took responsibility for the scandal taking place under his watch as prime minister and finance minister.

Najib, however, maintained his innocence regarding the large-scale money transfers from 1MDB.

"To be held legally responsible for something that I did not initiate or have knowledge of, is unfair to me, and I hope and pray that the judicial process will be in my favour and prove my innocence," his statement said.

It came ahead of a court ruling this week on whether he should defend himself in another case related to 1MDB for money laundering and corruption.

Anwar is under pressure from Najib loyalists, family members and Umno - the party whose support was crucial in helping him realise his ambitions to become prime minister in 2022 - to release the former leader by recommending a full royal pardon, similar to the one granted to Anwar himself in 2018 on the recommendation of then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail term for embezzling RM42 million of SRC International funds, was only granted a partial pardon in the form of a reduction of his sentence from 12 years to six years and his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.

Many Umno leaders were also angered by the revelation that there was an addendum to the partial pardon in which former Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had ordered Najib to serve the reduced sentence under house arrest.

Najib is currently appealing against the High Court's decision in July, which dismissed the claim on the existence of a royal addendum as "hearsay".

Anwar yesterday launched his familiar attack on those who criticised him for welcoming Najib's apology, accusing them of ignoring others who had "stolen billions of ringgit"

"When (they) attack, they are only attacking one person.

"It's not fair to attack (only) one person. The ones who attack have robbed more than that," Anwar said.

Anwar was criticised by, among others, the former chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the body at the centre of investigations that led to Najib's conviction and imprisonment in 2022.

Latheefa Koya took the prime minister to task, saying he "has no business and no authority" to make such a comment.

"Since Najib maintains innocence, Anwar’s acceptance condones the crime. It emboldens the corrupt, makes a mockery of the courts, undermines the MACC.

"Is this the prelude to releasing Najib on house arrest?" she asked.

Lawyer Rafique Rashid echoed her sentiments, saying Anwar, as prime minister, should side with the millions of Malaysians who are angry over the 1MDB scandal which has eaten up the state coffers and led to a series of new taxes being imposed on the people.

"Everyone has the right to berate Najib Razak and everyone also has the right to tell the government not to accept the apology.

"How can the prime minister say within 24 hours, 'Yes, we welcome it'? This is very unwise coming from the prime minister," Rafique told MalaysiaNow.

Najib's apology and Anwar's remarks have sparked a flood of comments on social media, especially from PH supporters.

"If his apology is accepted and can be forgiven, we can accept and forgive every convict in the country and release all prisoners," wrote Alfred Adaikalaraj.

"It is nothing more than another brazen attempt to hoodwink Malaysians once again. Shorn of all his self-righteous excuses, he remains unrepentant!" said Ch'ng Kim Hock.

"Your statement shows that you don't have the competence to lead the country to the extent of falling for the scam of an ordinary citizen and foreign firms. I hope you will not make a comeback as prime minister again," said Muhammad Hazim.

DAP leader's sarcasm

Former DAP MP Tony Pua, who together with PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli were among the most vocal PH leaders to speak out against Najib during the height of the 1MDB scandal, wrote a post full of sarcasm over the former premier's insistence that he was innocent despite his apology.

"I'm not responsible for sacking my deputy PM to cover up 1MDB," said Pua, referring to the dismissal of Muhyiddin Yassin, who had demanded an explanation from Najib shortly after the scandal came to light.

"I'm not responsible for sacking the attorney-general to cover up 1MDB. I'm not responsible for sacking the MACC chief and Special Branch chief to cover up 1MDB. I'm not responsible for installing a stooge as the PAC chairman to cover up 1MDB.

"I'm not responsible for US$27 million 22-carat pink diamond my beautiful wife purchased (and many more millions in jewelry and luxury goods). (Where is it hidden by the way?)" Pua wrote on Facebook, referring to the jewellery that Najib had claimed was a gift from a UAE prince to his wife Rosmah Mansor.

Pua continued:

"I'm not responsible for issuing secret RM3 billion government guarantee letter to raise bonds for 1MDB. I'm not responsible for paying extortionary fees to Goldman Sachs to raise bonds for 1MDB.

"I'm not responsible for negotiating a lopsided super over-priced deals with Chinese companies to cover up 1MDB debts.

"I'm not responsible for going after and persecuting 1MDB whistle-blowers to cover up 1MDB," he said, referring to efforts to thwart the 1MDB investigation.

"I have already paid my political price. Its not fair for me to legally responsible for any of the above. I just have to say I'm sorry for being the stupidest and slowest PM of Malaysia, for trusting the wrong parties who cheated Malaysians of tens of billions of ringgit.

"I should not be sitting in prison, even though I benefited immensely from the 1MDB largesse, in cash and in kind. It's not my fault. Really."

Meanwhile, a portal run by British journalist Claire Rewcastle Brown, who was also actively reporting the 1MDB revelations, criticised Anwar's remarks.

"That is not an apology, it is merely another denial. Anwar ought not to have accepted it for that reason and nor should the courts who are supposed to be independent," it said.