KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 -- Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has today hit back at PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang who accused the prime minister of trying to be holier-than-thou by forgoing his monthly wages.
Accused of trying to outshine Prophet Muhammad, Anwar said that Opposition lawmakers seem to prefer criticisms without offering any solutions.
“When I say I don’t take a salary, I get ridiculed. So, I think next year I’ll have to take it back,” he said in jest during a town hall session at the Madani government’s second anniversary here.
“Isn’t it strange? I don’t take a salary, except for the Parliament allowances, we receive that, and Azizah also gets a parliamentary allowance, and we combine, it’s okay. I’m not poor,” he said, referring to his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Bandar Tun Razak MP.
Earlier this month, Abdul Hadi suggested in the Dewan Rakyat that Anwar wanted to appear more pious than Prophet Muhammad by refusing a salary.
Abdul Hadi had claimed that God told the Prophet to reserve 20 per cent of income for himself and his family, but the money was used to help the needy.
“I might not be very clever, but I’ve never heard that Prophet Muhammad didn’t have a salary,” Anwar said today.
“Such is the petty politics we have — they don’t appreciate. They can criticise but offer suggestions, but nothing concrete from them.”
Since becoming prime minister in November 2022, Anwar had not taken a salary for his positions as prime and finance ministers.
Earlier this year, he also said he would return the allowance he received as chairman of government-linked investment company Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and claimed he did not know he had received it.
