Malaysia Belongs to All, Says Anwar as He Reiterates Apology to Indian Community

SEREMBAN, July 30 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated his sincere apology to the Indian community over his earlier use of an inappropriate term at a university forum, declaring that Malaysia belongs to all its citizens regardless of race or religious background.

Speaking at the PMX Meet-and-Greet session with the Indian Community last night, Anwar acknowledged making a mistake during a forum at Universiti Malaya and stressed that acknowledging errors reflects strength and sincerity in leadership rather than weakness.

“At a forum at Universiti Malaya, I used an inappropriate term. I have already apologised because that was not what I meant.

“The Prime Minister is only human. There are times when I have no such intention but use the wrong word. I accept my mistake and have apologised,” Anwar told attendees.

“Apologising does not diminish me. I do it sincerely for the sake of bringing change to this country,” he added.

The event was attended by Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, as well as leaders of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and prominent figures from the local Indian community.

Addressing divisive rhetoric, the Prime Minister firmly rejected narratives telling Malaysians of Chinese or Indian descent to leave the country, emphasizing that his administration remains committed to safeguarding the rights of every community.

“I want to respond by saying that I do not care about such narratives. Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians and we must work for everyone.

“I am a Muslim and I was never taught to insult followers of the Hindu faith. I am Malay, and my parents never taught me to take away the rights of the Indian community or oppress the Chinese community,” Anwar stated.

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s remarks, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan commended Anwar’s public apology as a rare display of leadership and humility from a head of government.

“It takes a very big man. Even sometimes we, in the business world, even small people like us feel we are too big to apologise. But this is a Prime Minister of a country who is apologising for whatever his shortcomings are. And I think it takes a very big man to do that. A very, very big man,” Ramanan told reporters following the session.

Ramanan further called on voters from the Indian community to evaluate the government based on its concrete performance and delivered statistics rather than political pledges alone.

Outlining key statistics regarding government support for the Indian community, Ramanan highlighted that the administration increased the budget allocation for the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA) from RM100 million to RM150 million, funded the construction of six new Tamil schools, and resolved over 10,000 pending citizenship applications.

“Do not make decisions based on promises alone. Look at what has been delivered and judge the government’s track record before making your choice,” Ramanan urged.

-NMT