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Joseph Sipalan

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday vowed not to interfere in corruption investigations into his own political appointees, after a slew of allegations were levelled at close government aides.
Last week, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a senior political secretary to the Prime Minister, was implicated in a mining scandal in the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.
Shamsul, who resigned from his post just hours after the revelation last Tuesday, is currently being held on remand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The investigation has heaped scrutiny on Anwar, who came to power three years ago pledging to tackle Malaysia’s entrenched culture of political corruption. Instead, he has been accused of launching targeted corruption investigations into his political rivals – while going soft on scandals closer to home.

In response to an opposition member’s question about Shamsul’s case in parliament on Tuesday, Anwar said: “What else do you want me to do? You already saw a person in handcuffs and wearing the orange uniform, are you not satisfied?”
He said he did not give any instructions to the MACC regarding Shamsul. “I told them they were free to investigate … we will not give protection to any party [involved in corruption].”
Shamsul was arrested with two others by the MACC on Friday over allegations of taking more than 600,000 ringgit (US$145,000) in cash and gifts in exchange for helping a businessman recoup bribes paid out to Sabah lawmakers to secure mining licenses.
Bribery scandals
The investigation followed an earlier controversy over an official letter signed off last year by Shamsul urging the health ministry to consider including six contractors in a hospital project in southern Johor state.
Opposition lawmakers had questioned why the prime minister did not immediately sack Shamsul after a copy of the support letter was widely distributed across social media, arguing that it clearly went against the government’s promise to combat corruption and abuse of power.
Anwar also faced criticism for allegedly brushing aside claims raised in July that another former senior aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador, had allegedly secured exclusive rights to dig up minerals across a total of 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of land in Sabah.

On Tuesday, the prime minister denied any cover up, pointing to documentation acquired from authorities in Sabah that proved that no approval had been granted to Farhash for control of the land or to mine for minerals.
“You can check the records. There was no approval … I cannot say my entire [political] machinery is clean, but if there is any information we will investigate,” Anwar said. “In corruption, I do not compromise.”
Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition was thrashed in the Sabah state poll on Saturday, winning just one of the 73 seats up for grabs in a stinging rebuke for not fixing perennial problems in Malaysia’s poorest state.
In corruption, I do not compromise
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
In 2023, Anwar launched a high-profile crackdown that implicated his arch-rival and two-time former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, his family and close associates – long seen as untouchables – as part of his promise to dismantle top-level corruption under his watch.
But public doubts snowballed quickly after a string of senior politicians in Anwar’s administration were freed of corruption charges and his daughter, Nurul Izzah, was voted in as deputy president of his People’s Justice Party.
The contentious party election in May led to accusations of nepotism and the resignation of two senior party leaders from Anwar’s cabinet.


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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) with his former senior political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin. Photo: Handout

Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin resigned last week. Photo: Handout

Farhash Wafa Salvador was a senior aide to the prime minister. Photo: Handout

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Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin resigned on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says there will be no interference into a probe by the country’s anti-corruption agency, which will be interviewing his former aide Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin. Photo: Handout

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at the Asean-New Zealand summit in Kuala Lumpur in October. Photo: Pool via Reuters

People gather at a market in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The outcome of the Malaysian state’s election on Saturday shows that Sabahans that they “don’t believe” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, political analyst James Chin says. Photo: Shutterstock

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: Reuters

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Shafie Apdal, president of Sabah’s former ruling party Warisan, casts his ballot at a polling station in the state election on Saturday morning. Photo: Handout/Parti Warisan

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The prime minister has been accused of launching investigations targeting his political rivals while going soft on scandals closer to home


The prime minister has been accused of launching investigations targeting his political rivals while going soft on scandals closer to home.


Malaysia’s Anwar vows ‘no protection’ for close aides in corruption investigations

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The prime minister has been accused of launching investigations targeting his political rivals while going soft on scandals closer to home

The prime minister has been accused of launching investigations targeting his political rivals while going soft on scandals closer to home