Prisoners

"People can harp upon issues of race or religion, to me, it's completely irrelevant. It's a way and attempt by political leaders to disguise and hijack the central issues of governance in this country. They are going to appeal to the race, including the Malays, that their position, their power base is challenged."

"As a general rule, previous announcements should be honoured although we might have some reservations. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of disruptions."

"His Majesty (Hassanal Bolkiah) has been watching and following our development (in Malaysia). Friendship is important, and ours has been good and...kind of personal. Whenever I'm in distress, His Majesty always shows concern."

"I look forward to working closely with him (United States President Joe Biden) for the mutual benefit of our people."

"I want to start a new transition. No more just slogans. We want appreciation and practice and also truth, justice and unity. Malaysians have become cynical and are tired of just slogans and promises."

"I know there are comments like 'Anwar likes to toy with numbers'. I seldom want to answer these, but I want to say here that any investigation into alleged corruption is for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to look at. But believe me, in my current position, I will not issue baseless statements."

"I received a congratulatory message from US (United States) President Joe Biden, who commended Malaysia's inspiring democracy in the recent general election."

"There are people who asked 'Anwar, if there are wrongdoings, why not prosecute?' Prosecution is not my job. Don't challenge me."

"If the main teachers take a wrong action, it must be questioned. Just because that person is a head of a political party, that does not mean all his statements are right. Islam did not teach us to do so (follow blindly). Islamic religious education should be based on deep understanding of the Quran, sunnah and the earliest of Ulemas. The interpretations must be questioned and corrected if need be. That is the tradition of seeking knowledge."

"The problem with our (national) debt is it has already touched RM1.2 trillion and if liabilities are included, the debt is RM1.5 trillion."

"We in Malaysia will not tolerate the burning of any holy book – be it the Quran, Bible or any other. There is no freedom to kill or dehumanise."

"For the January-December 2022 period, Malaysia's export to Brunei increased by 33.3 per cent to RM7.4 billion (US$1.68 billion). Imports from Brunei were recorded at RM5.82 billion (US$1.21 billion), an increase of 154.8 per cent from the previous year (2021)."

"Indonesia accepted me as a true friend, so I will never forget that. Indonesia is a neighbour, we share the same roots and have a good friendship. It (Indonesia) was also a true friend at a time when I was cast out and sidelined."

"The issue of welfare is called the Rahmah program. We will make it the theme in all programs to help the poor, especially the hardcore poor, which is our priority in the current government administration."

"Her reappointment as the chair of the foundation received consensus support from all 56 Commonwealth member nations. She is the first Malaysian and representative from Asia to hold the position since the Foundation was established in 1966. Congratulations, Datuk Sudha Devi!"

"If there are minutes that violates laws and regulations, I must be informed. Even if it comes from me. More so if it comes from my officers, the deputy prime ministers or other ministers."

"I also urge all civil servants to embrace the principles of democratic accountability for the sake of the people. As makers and movers of policies, we should not be complacent and must do all we can to effect change."

"Usually an autobiography is written by someone who is retiring from his job. I have just been in this (Prime Minister of Malaysia) position for a little over a month."

"We will give room to the chief minister (Hajiji Noor) to hold discussions and find the best formula for the good of Sabah."

"If we look at the savings in their EPF accounts, the amount is very low. As such, I will have to strike a balance between their current needs and their future. I am very worried about their future, so the government will look for options to assist them."

"Yes, I am giving my blessings to Hajiji (Noor). We have given our views. We want Sabah to be strong under (Chief Minister) Hajiji (Noor). Give him the space to discuss and find a good formula for Sabah."

"Sometimes these politicians will say that if Anwar becomes prime minister (of Malaysia) then Islam will be ruined, secularism and communism will gain a foothold, and LGBT will be recognized. This is a delusion. Of course, it will not happen and God willing under my administration, this is not going to happen."

"I have stressed that Malaysia must be free from the greed of elite politicians in robbing the country's riches for their own benefits. I will not compromise on this matter even though it may jeopardize my own position."

"I hope this visit (to Indonesia) will be able to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries (Malaysia and Indonesia) in addition to exploring new cooperation opportunities through discussions with (the Indonesian) President Joko Widodo, Insha Allah."

"I don't see any (political turmoil) development (here in Sabah). I was just informed that there are some issues and I have asked the (Sabah) chief minister to have a good discussion with friends in Sabah."

"The historical relationship between Malaysia and Pakistan that was established for a long time is not only limited to the current bilateral trade, but also in terms of culture, Islamic understanding and philosophy which has benefitted us greatly."

"I have left UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) for 30 years. I have nothing to do with UMNO anymore."

"We are going to tighten (COVID-19) screening (for foreign nationals entering Malaysia), but we won't discriminate against any country. Cabinet has unequivocally decided that health is the main priority, and that questions surrounding tourism and the economy cannot override these interests."

"This is a bit personal, Mister President (of Indonesia Joko Widodo). When I was in a difficult situation, living in uncertainty and suffering, Indonesia welcomed me as a true friend."

"As a multi-racial and culturally diverse country, it has become a habit and an obligation for each of us to take this opportunity (Christmas Eve) to strengthen friendship between the people by saying beautiful words to them."

"Azizah and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi, on the loss of your beloved mother, Smt Heeraben Modi. We share your sadness and our thoughts are with you during your period of mourning."

"Should we have mega projects but not be bothered about the people? We must not develop and yet destroy at the same time. The profits from the giant companies are big but the pay for the workers is still low. As we live with our faiths and morals, the job opportunities which we create must not make those who are employed lower themselves as human beings."

"What I have done is that many of my duties as prime minister have been delegated to my deputies (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Fadillah Yusof)."

"Due to the floods and issues faced by the people, we decided that big celebrations like the (2023) New Year's Eve countdown are cancelled."

"From RM15 billion (of flood mitigation program budget), we could save close to RM2 billion because we have put an end to direct negotiations."

"Cabinet (of Malaysia) has unequivocally decided that health is the main priority, and that questions surrounding tourism and the economy cannot override these interests."

"Only 49% of Malaysians had their booster jab (as of today). COVID-19 is still not over, not just in Malaysia but globally. We still have around six million booster doses ready."

"The most important thing is for the country to be politically stable, clear in its direction, and strong in the desire to bring change to restore its dignity."

"The state and federal machinery should negotiate properly because we are under economic constraints. The national debt (of Malaysia) is estimated to be at RM1.2 trillion and the revenue is getting smaller, while the spending capacity is very limited."

"...We have endured a lot of harm from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers, and we preferred to respond with as little as possible, out of our concern to extinguish the fire of sedition. But Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers did not leave us a choice, for they have demanded that all the mujahideen reject their confirmed pledges of allegiance, and to pledge allegiance to them for what they claim of a caliphate..."

"Allah loves those who worship Him to become shaheeds, whose blood is spilled out of love for Him."

"You have no alternative, and if you wish to live in honor, then this can be accomplished only by returning to your religion to religion and to jihad against your enemies."

"...So, is “Caliph Ibrahim” of the Islamic State an extremist, a militant, a terrorist or an Islamic fighter? None of the above. All those labels imply behavior that makes some sort of sense in terms of human reality and normal ideologies..."

"In August 2011, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi from Samarra, sent a scouting mission of seven or eight men from Iraq into Syria to assess how ripe the country was for his ambitions. Baghdadi was taking Zarqawi’s dream of establishing an Islamic state to another level. His men found a country much like Iraq in the years after the US invasion: outside the large cities, men with guns roamed freely, state institutions were weak, and—most conveniently—Assad had released scores of Islamists from his jails, just as Saddam Hussein had done before the US invasion of 2003. This was a classic move: the dictator appears to show magnanimity at a time of unrest and declares an amnesty for prisoners, but alongside the intellectuals and activists, he releases into the wild those who will inflict chaos, so he can be called upon as the best option to bring peace. In Syria, some of the men released had fought in Iraq, groomed by Assad himself to make life miserable for the Americans in Iraq. Assad would jail the fighters as soon as they returned, letting them rot in prison until he next needed them. As he set them loose in 2011, he deviously warned the international community that the protesters were religious extremists, making him the architect of his own self-fulfilling prophecy. Baghdadi’s men traveled west from Iraq into Syria, on desert highways and along rivers, a well-traveled road used by fighters who had gone in the opposite direction to join the insurgency in Iraq. In Syria, courtesy of Assad, they found a ready network of Salafist jihadists they could tap into to serve Baghdadi’s grand designs of a borderless Islamic state. But without a revolution for freedom, there would have been no such opportunity."

"God's enemies from the Jews, Christians, atheists, Shiites, apostates and all of the world's infidels have dedicated their media, money, army and munitions to fight Muslims and jihadists in the State of Nineveh after they witnessed it become one of the bases of Islam and one of its minarets under the Caliphate."

"...I was with Baghdadi at the Islamic University. We studied the same course, but he wasn't a friend. He was quiet, and retiring. He spent time alone. Later, when he helped found the Islamic Army, Mr Dabash fought alongside militia leaders who were committing some of the worst excesses in violence and would later form al-Qaeda... [but] Baghdadi was not one of them, I used to know all the leaders (of the insurgency) personally. Zarqawi (the former leader of al-Qaeda) was closer than a brother to me... But I didn't know Baghdadi. He was insignificant. He used to lead prayer in a mosque near my area. No one really noticed him..."

"...Crusaders and Jews don’t dare come on the ground because they were defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan..."

"...Jews, soon you shall hear from us in Palestine, which will become your grave..."

"America, which presents itself as the only superpower, is losing its status as the world’s top leader and is becoming an exhausted country with huge debts. This is preparing the ground for its collapse and the fall of other countries into the abyss."

"...Soon, by Allah's permission, a day will come when the Muslim will walk everywhere as master, having honor, being revered, with his head held high, and his dignity preserved. Anyone who dares to offend him will be disciplined, and any hand that reaches out to harm him will be cut off. So let the world know that we are living today in a new era. Whoever was heedless must now be alert. Whoever was sleeping must now awaken..."