KUALA KANGSAR, Oct 27- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not care about the criticism and sarcasm regarding his decision not to take a salary as Prime Minister.
These include sarcasm on the use of terms such as “ketimbang”, which is often used as a subject of satire by some parties after the presentation of the 2025 Budget.
He said the issue does not need to be overemphasised since every elected leader should have a wide command of the Malay language.
“I don’t criticise or swear at people. When I wear a ‘songkok’ that’s a little crooked, someone will get angry; when I wear a ‘Baju Melayu’ and ‘capal,’ I will also get criticized. When I use a new term like ketimbang, someone will complain of not understanding. As leaders, we have to improve our mastery of the language. In the past, I introduced the word alaf which was not in use beforehand. Likewise, there was no ‘mampan’ (the word for sustainable) in the past but I used it,” he said when speaking at the Ramah Mesra Event with the Padang Rengas Community, here.
As a Prime Minister, he wants to fully focus on the development of the country as well as reducing the people’s poverty, instead of entertaining satirical issues.
