PUTRAJAYA, Oct 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that Budget 2027 was formulated to continue promoting Islam, including through specific measures to strengthen pondok religious schools nationwide.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the government had sought the views of Islamic scholars and religious teachers in drawing up the budget to ensure that the development needs of Islam received due attention.

He therefore criticised certain quarters for labelling the leader behind the Madani Government’s Budget 2027 as a “hypocrite”.

“When formulating Budget 2027, we asked what more could be done for Islam and what else could be added. In the past, we neglected pondok institutions and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), but now we are rebuilding them.

“In the past, we sidelined the syeikhs, religious teachers and tuan-tuan guru (respected religious scholars), but now we invite them and seek their views,” he said when speaking at the Majlis Ilmu MADANI programme at Kompleks Seri Perdana here today, which featured renowned Indonesian preacher Ustaz Dr Abdul Somad Batubara as a guest.

Also present were the Prime Minister’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan; and Weststar Group founder and managing director Tan Sri Dr Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim.

Anwar admitted that he was somewhat angered by the matter but said he remained patient, describing it as a systemic problem.

“When the matter was debated in Parliament, he called the leader a hypocrite and the budget hypocritical. If I were to ask Ustaz Abdul Somad, he would say, ‘Be patient, Pak.’ My heart was boiling, but I remained patient and did not respond.

“I just want to say that this is merely symptomatic of the real problem … those who profess Islam do not help or set a good example in terms of morals, personal conduct, moderation and tolerance,” he said.

Previously, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul had directed Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) to withdraw the word “hypocrite” that he had used during the debate.

The Prime Minister also expressed his appreciation to Abdul Somad for sharing his knowledge at the programme, adding that the preacher’s advice was always taken seriously in efforts to make Malaysia a better country.

“Ustaz Abdul Somad is now a prominent figure, but he is also controversial in some respects because he is bold in his criticism, which can sometimes be sharp.

“His criticism reaches all those in power, including in Malaysia. However, based on our experience in matters of governance and procedures, we welcome such criticism and try to make improvements,” he said.