Anwar tells Johor election rivals to stop using Najib’s imprisonment as campaign issue

KULAI, July 10 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reminded parties contesting in the Johor state election to stop using the issue of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s release as political campaign fodder.

He said the focus should instead be on efforts to safeguard the people’s welfare and manage the country’s economy, rather than continuing to politicise the issue, given that the former prime minister is currently serving a prison sentence.

“Datuk (Seri) Najib is now in prison, so leave him alone. If you ask me, enough is enough. But we are still paying the (1MDB) debt… and we have yet to finish paying it off,” he said when speaking at the Yok! Merahkan Johor! Undi Harapan programme here today.

Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari, Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin, PKR Youth chief Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim and Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Bukit Batu seat, Arthur Chiong Sen Sern.

Anwar said the government is now burdened with 1MDB debts amounting to RM51 billion, funds that could otherwise have been used for public facilities had they not been misappropriated by irresponsible parties.

“If we had that money and did not have to pay the 1MDB debt, we could use it for schools, hospitals, roads and to feed the poor. But now we cannot,” he said. 

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