Anwar Ibrahim explains initial concerns over Lim Guan Eng as finance minister


(CNA) – Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of the People’s Justice Party, or Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), told Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday (May 16) he had raised concerns about the appointment of Malaysia’s first ethnic Chinese finance minister in more than four decades. 

However, he said, they have since been resolved.

Lim Guan Eng, the two-term Penang chief minister and the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was announced as finance minister on Saturday by new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Hours later, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli issued a statement saying the posts were made without the party’s consensus, fuelling speculation that Lim’s ethnicity was one of the problems raised by Anwar’s wife and deputy prime minister designate Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“It was not just her; I said, look you can have a Chinese but make sure that you have some discussions,” Anwar said in an interview on the day of his release from prison custody.

“You have to consult party leaders from the other component parties and understand if there are going to be ramifications, repercussions among the (ethnic majority) Malays.”

He added: “Because, other than the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, our support among the Malay base in the east coast is not impressive. So I think those are the considerations.”

Pakatan Harapan defeated former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) on May 9 in Malaysia’s general election, but Kelantan and Terengganu were won by Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).

PAS and BN component party United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, had accused Lim’s largely ethnic Chinese DAP as being anti-Islam in the lead up to the polls, charges the DAP have vehemently denied.

“Are we discounting the fact that Chinese can be finance minister? No, we are Pakatan Harapan,” said Anwar.

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