Malaysian Premier Anwar flags alleged plot to ‘topple’ his government

ISTANBUL

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday flagged an alleged plot to topple his government, noting that a police investigation is underway, state media reported.

Addressing parliament, Anwar said those behind the plot were a “group of Malaysians … leveraging the influence of the media and international institutions, including involving a prominent Zionist group,” Bernama News reported.

The 78-year-old Malaysian leader said details of the plot will be released once the Royal Malaysia Police completes the probe.

In office since 2022, Anwar said the initial findings showed the “strategy” of the group “extended to contacting foreign media outlets to question government initiatives, particularly those involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), while using international connections to shape narratives casting doubt on the credibility of the government and the country.”

The revelations by Anwar come amid a probe against Malaysia’s anti-graft chief Azam Baki.

Probe was ordered after Bloomberg News outlet claimed in two articles last month that Azam’s “shareholdings in a financial services firm were higher than the allowed limit for public officials.”

“The second one concerned alleged collusion between MACC officials and businessmen in order to intimidate executives and remove them from their companies. Azam and the MACC have strongly denied the allegations,” the outlet reported.

Anwar said the plotters “sought to obtain information and exert influence through international round tables and global nongovernmental organizations, followed by an international push. They then briefed Bloomberg for further action.”

Bloomberg has yet to react to Anwar’s revelations.

Apart from “using international media to plant articles to undermine confidence in the national economy and banking officials, there was also the fact that the group was using relationships with Members of Parliament to create a certain narrative,” said Anwar, adding the plot began in 2024.

“They aimed to utilize contacts among parliamentarians to disrupt proceedings and influence the framing of parliamentary questions on these issues,” he added.

The “attempt to topple the government was believed to be driven by a series of large-scale corruption investigations being conducted by the MACC,’ said the prime minister.

“This is not confined to a specific case, nor merely a criticism of the prime minister or a campaign to defend a particular individual. It extends to questioning the entire national system to bring down the government.

“This issue is not tied to any political party; it concerns national security," he said.