Muhyiddin wants Anwar to explain statements on Israel

(Bernama) — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today asked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to come forward and explain his commitment to defend the security of Israel, which he (Anwar) had stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Friday.

The Deputy Prime Minister asked whether the stand by the de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) meant that he placed more importance on Israel than the Palestinians who were being oppressed by the Israelis.

“Is this the stand of the the opposition Pakatan coalition, when the government does not even have diplomatic relations with Israel,” he told reporters after making a visit to Kampung Kebun Baru in Jementah here.

Muhyiddin said this when asked to comment on the remarks made by Anwar in the WSJ interview, where he (Anwar) openly stated that he would defend the security of Israel.

“The Barisan Nasional regrets this statement by Anwar,” he said.

The Malaysian government, he said, was also very disappointed that the peace talks between Israel and Palestine had yet to bear fruit although they had been going on for a long time.

On another matter, Muhyiddin urged eligible applicants who had not received the RM500 aid under the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) initiative to be patient.

“The government hopes to resolve this as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that those whose applications were rejected could make appeals.