Malaysian PM had no role in graft probe into rival Mahathir: senior Anwar aide

Malaysia denies PM Anwar ordered anti-graft probe into rival Mahathir, calling allegations a ‘malicious attempt’ to destabilise the government

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Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Mahathir Mohamad during a campaign event in October 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:00pm, 27 Sep 2024

Malaysia’s government did not influence anti-graft authorities into investigating former leader Mahathir Mohamad, a senior aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday, rebutting a Bloomberg report alleging Anwar demanded the probe to exact revenge on his chief political rival.

According to a report published by Bloomberg on Thursday, Anwar allegedly ordered the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to launch a graft probe on his former mentor and arch-rival, Mahathir.

The report, citing four sources, claimed Anwar had agreed to extend the tenure of MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki in return for carrying out a high-profile crackdown on Mahathir, including on his family and his inner circle.

In an extensive rebuttal of the report, Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, a political secretary under Anwar’s finance portfolio, described the allegations as “malicious attempt by deep-state actors” to disrupt the country and divert attention from economic recovery efforts.

“Any claims of interference by the current government are unfounded and only serve to undermine public trust in the ongoing anti-corruption efforts under the current government’s watch,” Muhammad Kamil said in a post on X.

Anwar and Mahathir have been embroiled in a decades-long feud, triggered in 1998 after a falling-out.

That year, Mahathir sacked Anwar as his deputy and later had him jailed on charges of corruption and sodomy – allegations that Anwar and his supporters have denied.