Anwar: Corrupt ministers will be booted out immediately

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has warned his Cabinet ministers that anyone involved in bribery or misuse of power will be booted out immediately.

Anwar said he would not compromise over the matter in the unity government that he leads.

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"I have informed the Cabinet ministers whom I have chosen, that first and foremost, there should be no corruption.

"I have also informed all component party leaders that if any minister is involved in corruption, I will seek their mandate to sack them immediately,” he said in his speech at a programme with Muslim preachers at Seri Perdana here.

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The Prime Minister said the reminder was not a political gimmick but rather his confidence that he can free the country of corruption.

Anwar reminded every politician to prove that the political arena is not a platform to show off their wealth or power, which will only cause a dispute over the authority of Islam.

"I want to prove there are Malays who use their power to defend Islam; I want to prove there are Malays who uphold the principles of mercy and justice in Malaysia. We must always be vigilant so that division can be avoided,” he said.

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Anwar said he would also ensure entities such as the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are always transparent in carrying out their duties, apart from the fact that no one can escape the punishment meted out by the court.

The Prime Minister said he had been given the mandate to lead in a situation where the country's debt had exceeded RM1 trillion, which requires better governance.

"I have been given the mandate with regard to the debt of over RM1 trillion from agencies that were reviewed to find the leakages, and this is not ‘fitnah’ (allegations).

"I’ve worked hard to scrutinise all the files and we will delay several projects, re-examine or cancel ... if we want to spend, we must be thorough, this is a matter of governance,” he said.

As such, he said the country must be managed by following the correct rules.

"I remember, for example, that the flood mitigation projects were approved spontaneously.

"I asked for a postponement and for a review. I will go to the Finance Ministry tomorrow to re-examine the matter,” he said, adding that the issue of flood mitigation project approval was true and not mere slander.

On Dec 6, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, had ordered a review of RM7bil worth of approvals under the RM15bil flood mitigation project that were conducted through direct negotiations instead of a tender process.

Meanwhile, he called on the roles of traditional Islamic institutions such as tahfiz centres and pondok schools to continue to be strengthened as the country’s defence fortress. - Bernama