PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today brushed off an alleged plot to oust him from office.
The 76-year-old told reporters he had been informed of the alleged “Dubai Move” – named after the Middle Eastern city in which it was purportedly hatched – but chose to focus on his work.
“That is their job. It does not affect me. What's important is that we have launched an important initiative for the people today,” he said after officiating the much talked-about Central Database Hub, which digitises the delivery system of targeted subsidies in an effort to ensure it reaches Malaysians truly in need of it, at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.
Anwar was also asked if he was still prime minister, to which he replied “Alhamdullilah” or praise be to Allah in Arabic.
In a separate news conference here earlier, Anwar's deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was also asked to comment on the “Dubai Move” and insisted the plot was real but scoffed at the attempt, calling it a “waste of time”.
In alleged ouster plot against Anwar was first reported by Berita Harian in a news report published on December 30 last year.
The Malay daily cited Community Communications Department deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop disclosing an alleged new plot to topple Anwar and the unity government by Perikatan Nasional leaders including certain representatives of the government during their holiday in the capital of the United Arab Emirates recently.
The alleged purpose of the meeting was to assign roles to “agents” tasked with identifying MPs who might switch support to the opposition, aiming to establish a new government.
