PUTRAJAYA, May 1 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today defended the King against claims he wanted a casino built to save Forest City in Johor, calling the allegation malicious.
He suggested that those making rumours against the royal institution were “crooks” who should be jailed.
“What is this? I have never heard of talks nor did anyone propose (the casino)... the Yang di-Pertuan Agong never once mentioned anything about allowing gambling there even if he does have interest in Forest City,” Anwar said in his Labour Day speech to staff from ministries and government-linked firms here.
“Where did this rumour come from? From crooks. I think these crooks should be the ones filling the cells I once occupied in Sungai Buloh,” he added.
The allegation was first reported by Bloomberg, which quoted unnamed sources as saying that Anwar had met Berjaya Corp Bhd founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Genting Group’s Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay late last month about the development on the southern coast of peninsular Malaysia near Singapore.
Anwar responded to the report by calling the allegation “a lie”.
A spokesman for Berjaya said the company was not aware of any conversation between Anwar and Tan on the potential development of any casino in Forest City.
According to national news agency Bernama, 70 per cent of the property development at Forest City in Iskandar Puteri, Johor has been sold within the past two years and is set to continue to increase over the next three to four years.
In January, Anwar and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the signing of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
Anwar appeared to have backed police action against parties behind the casino allegations today, saying it was the only way the King, Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, could defend himself.
“If you attack me as prime minister it's okay because I can defend myself and I have the platform to do so. But the King cannot, he's not a politician who can just say whatever he wants,” the prime minister said.
