MUAR, Sept 8 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has denounced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, alleging the latter of willing to sacrifice his principles after Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's trial was discontinued.

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) information chief also censured Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) leaders for staying silent on the matter, which he said was the opposite of what Anwar had stood and struggled for prior to leading the country.

"Where are the principles of the struggle? We must have principles in our struggle and stick to them by rejecting corruption, robbery and bribery,” he said in a PN rally in Kampung Parit Keroma Darat here last night.

Azmin, who was once an aide and strong supporter of Anwar, questioned the act of sacrificing those principles in an effort to be in power and appointing corrupt individuals to office.

"Until when do we want to continue to be fooled by this Madanon government?” he asked, using a sarcastic portmanteau of Anwar's Madani slogan and the prime minister's pejorative moniker Bang Non used his critics.

"Enough is enough, I invite my friends in Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) to join us in PN. God willing, the future of the Malays and Islam will be guaranteed by PN, and not PH, Umno or Barisan Nasional,” he added.

Also present during the campaign for Sungai Jeram were PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nassuruddin Daud and Muafakat Nasional (MN) chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

On Monday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for all 47 graft charges involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

Azmin, who is also the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia supreme council member, pointed out that Anwar is not the person he used to be and is now willing to embrace corruption, all for the sake of becoming the prime minister.

"In the past, Anwar taught us to fight corruption, but today we embrace corruption. He made a promise to the people of Johor and told us to go against kleptocrats and the corrupt. Today he embraces the corrupt, we will definitely fight Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

Azmin gave an example that it was a different scenario in Singapore where its prime minister Lee Hsien Loong was very strict and does not compromise with his ministers who are involved in corruption cases.

The recently elected Hulu Kelang assemblyman said the Singapore example was apt as the island republic was not far from Pulai or Simpang Jeram where a minister was suspended about two months ago.

However, Azmin said the situation is different in Malaysia.

The Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state by-elections are being held tomorrow following the death of incumbent Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub who was also the minister of domestic trade and cost of living on July 23.