PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today disclosed that he has often been teased by his own family as being outdated on current trends, even when it comes to football.
He said each time English football club Manchester United lose a match, his grandchildren would remind him that he is “ancient”.
“I have always been a Manchester United fan. My grandchildren will tell me, ‘Papa Tok, you are ancient, the history is gone’.
“But I refuse to change,” Anwar, who is also finance minister, told Finance Ministry staff during their monthly assembly here this morning.
He added that his grandchildren are Arsenal and Liverpool supporters.
He added that while his family is divided by their clubs, interest in sports is something that transcends generations.
Last Sunday, Manchester United played Liverpool at Old Trafford and were beaten 0–3.
Anwar made a reference to the Red Devils’ former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, nicknamed Fergie, in his speech earlier when announcing a RM15 million special allocation for Malaysia’s national football team, Harimau Malaya to boost their performance and reputation.
“Where did I learn this from? Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He told me how the welfare of each football player in the squad must be placed as priority,” Anwar said.
