JEMPOL: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has not ordered any minister or deputy minister to resign, says government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi said Anwar’s reminder was intended to ensure federal officeholders maintained unity, discipline and professionalism throughout the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign.
“The prime minister believes that the democratic process allows for differences of opinion. In fact, parties within the unity government contested separately in several previous state elections.
“However, he emphasised that all officeholders in the unity government must continue to respect one another,” he said after attending the Ziarah Kasih programme at Felda Palong 2 here today.
Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said Anwar has also taken into consideration the fact that any moves at the federal level could affect the perceptions of both domestic and foreign investors.
He said stability and investor confidence were important considerations for the prime minister in managing democratic differences of opinion.
Yesterday, Anwar said ministers, deputy ministers and government agency officeholders should resign if they used state elections as a platform to attack their partners in the unity government.
Foreign minister and Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan then said he was prepared to resign as minister if ordered, emphasising that he had no intention of attacking other unity government leaders during the campaign.
Transport minister and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook also said he agreed with Anwar, and that cooperation among the parties in the unity government remained intact.
