Malaysia’s Anwar vows to eradicate corruption, urges new leadership culture

Anwar reiterated his commitment to eradicating corruption, calling for a new leadership culture that prioritises national interests over personal gain

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Anwar Ibrahim vowed to end corruption in Malaysia, urging unity and responsible leadership while cracking down on corruption. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 9:04pm, 30 Aug 2024

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday reiterated his commitment to eradicating corruption, calling for a new leadership culture that prioritises the country’s interests over personal gain.

Since coming to power nearly two years ago, Anwar has made combating corruption a central focus of his agenda as he seeks to consolidate support for his administration, which is still struggling to secure broad support among the country’s Malay-Muslim majority.

Anwar said the country has suffered from instances where local leaders had been “reckless, arrogant, corrupt and greedy”, like the colonial masters that they replaced when the nation gained independence from British rule in 1957.

“This must not be allowed to continue,” he said in a national address ahead of Saturday’s Independence Day celebration.

“My hope is to put an end to old practices and start a new culture of leadership that is more responsible, that is not allowed to steal the country of its riches and abuse their power.”

Anwar did not name any past leaders or point to any specific case of corruption in his speech.

Earlier this year, his administration launched a high profile graft crackdown that has implicated the family and close associates of his political nemesis and two-time prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, in an operation that Anwar had said would hold elites accountable for decades of abusing their positions and power.