PUTRAJAYA: Those who drag the country into endless racial debate did little when they held power except to enrich themselves, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia was too often squeezed and dragged into unending arguments over race, to the point that even his coming visit to Johor to discuss IT and artificial intelligence risked being drowned out by talk of racial struggle.
“But when they had power, they did nothing or did very little. More was done to rake in wealth for themselves, not for the people,” he said when launching Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd’s (PUNB) SParK 2026: Transformasi Niaga here on Saturday (July 4).
Anwar said the government stood first for driving economic growth with good governance, as no amount of growth would save the country if positions of power were used to cart away wealth.
“The world is enough for every man’s need but will never be enough for every man’s greed,” he said, quoting Gandhi.
His government was committed to both the growth agenda and to uplifting the Bumiputra, he said, on condition that it was managed cleanly.
“Stop the practices of stealing and plundering. On this I do not compromise. Curse me however you like, I do not care,” he said.
The Malays and Bumiputra would survive, Anwar said, if they revived not only their intelligence and business acumen but their character, values and morals.
“Only then can we be proud as a civilised race, progress and become an example to the world,” he said.
Johor will go to the polls on July 11.
