AYER KEROH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed claims that his relationship with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has soured, saying he prefers to focus on maintaining peace rather than conflict.
Responding to former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s remarks that trust between the two had reached an all-time low, Anwar said the view was a matter of personal opinion.
“That is his (Khairy’s) personal opinion, and he always tends to see things through the lens of conflict.
“I look at things from the perspective of peace. We are different. He takes the conflict approach, while I take the peaceful approach.
“This is why I also thank Zahid, Umno and the entire Barisan Nasional for their role in forming the unity government at the initial stage,” he said during a doorstep interview at the 2026 PKR National Congress on Saturday (Aug 15).
When asked whether there were any disagreements between them, Anwar said their relationship remained good at the national level, although he acknowledged there had been some disagreements at the state level.
“There are some at the state level, but that is normal,” he said.
Khairy, in the latest episode of his Keluar Sekejap podcast yesterday, said he believed trust between Anwar and Zahid had hit its lowest point since the formation of the unity government in 2022.
The former health minister said Barisan's decision to join forces with Perikatan Nasional for the Negri Sembilan polls had strained ties between Barisan and Pakatan Harapan.
