KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has mocked his party’s ally Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s commitment to reform, suggesting that the prime minister made such vows only out of anger against predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The man known as Ku Li claimed that the Anwar administration has yet to implement significant reforms despite being in power for close to two years.
“Is there reform? It’s just all talk. What he used to shout about was only because he was angry with the former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for ‘attacking’ and arresting him.
“Thus, the ‘Reformasi’ movement was born, and people agreed with this call. Just so justice would be given to him,” Tengku Razaleigh told Utusan Malaysia in an interview.
In 1998, Anwar was fired from the deputy prime minister post and arrested for alleged sodomy — sparking mass protests, the “Reformasi” movement, and the formation of PKR.
“He says it takes time, but it’s been over two years since he became prime minister. From the time when Mahathir was prime minister twice and Barisan Nasion fell, there has been no record of how to bring about reform,” Tengku Razaleigh reportedly said.
The Gua Musang MP pointed to the proposed separation of powers between the offices of the attorney general and the public prosecutor, which has yet to be implemented.
In May, law minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had said that the study on the proposal would be completed by the end of this year.
“There are many more laws, but I shouldn’t be the one telling. The one who calls for reform should be the one to start,” Tengku Razaleigh replied, when asked about which other laws need reforming.
He also refused to answer if there is a better political call than for reforms, saying: “People always shout for reform, but once in power, fix the system. Bring about the reforms the people want.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has touted his administration’s financial reforms to investors — including the recent subsidy rationalisation.
Anwar said he has fixed a problem that the past government has failed to — and did so by “taking the bull by the horns” in order to steer Malaysia away from bankruptcy,
