KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said the government has no problems with receiving criticism as long as it is not malicious or slanderous.

After Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim claimed his freedom of speech is being curtailed, Fahmi said the lawmaker from the Islamist party PAS should know about his religious obligations against slander.

"You want to critique go ahead I won’t stop you I accept it, we accept it, just don’t slander us. Slander makes you silly,” Fahmi said when met today.

"As a man who defends Islam and its rights he should know most about slander. So I ask Pendang to be reasonable.

‘If any issues arise you can answer them and the summons in court,” he added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim February 24 issued a second legal letter demanding an apology from Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim for questioning the legitimacy of his appointment as head of government, thereby tarnishing his reputation several days ago.

Anwar’s lawyers said the letter of demand is part of the usual process before a defamation suit is filed, adding that they will initiate legal action against the PAS lawmaker if the latter fails to provide a satisfactory response within three days from the date of receipt.

Anwar claimed that the allegations made by the Pendang MP are untrue, malicious, intended to harm his reputation and were done with the intention of getting cheap publicity for his personal or political benefit.

Awang then labelled Anwar as the "father of lawsuits” because he keeps going after his critics with lawsuits.

Anwar had previously issued two letters of demand against the MP over alleged defamation.

The first was for Awang’s remarks calling Anwar a more vindictive prime minister than the latter’s archnemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

This was after Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan was charged with corruption by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.