Najib: Anwar’s name-calling will not make me lose sleep

(The Star) – PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was not losing any sleep over derogatory name-calling by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said politicians could have differing opinions but they should focus on policy matters and issues related to the people.

“To attack someone personally is to be trapped in a cauldron of politics that has no ethics. This (the name-calling) is not causing me to lose sleep,” he said after chairing a Budget 2012 Consultation Council yesterday.

At a Malaysian Indian Voice gathering in Klang recently, Anwar apparently accused Najib of playing gutter politics by allowing a sex tape – allegedly involving him – to be released and went on to call the Prime Minister “a real pandikutti” (Tamil for piglet).

Najib said he believed the rakyat would be able to judge for themselves the politicians who did that. “I don’t have to comment any further because I am confident the people can judge such a thing,” he said.

On the views that the “Loyal Brigade” formed by Perkasa was a nucleus for a militant grouping, Najib said that peace and harmony should be the first consideration for the country.

“We have been enjoying peace for so long.

“I am not saying that this is a good or a bad idea but we should not do anything that can threaten peace, harmony and stability in the country,” he said, stressing that the Government would not keep quiet if there was any attempt to threaten national security and harmony.

An online portal, meanwhile, has quoted Anwar as denying that he had called Najib pandikutti. He said he did mention the term pandikutti, but denied attributing it to Najib.