Anwar scoffs at official's remark

Anwar scoffs at official's remark

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Jailed Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim criticized a Cabinet minister for saying his wife, a budding opposition figure, was Chinese and therefore unqualified to lead native Malays, a statement said on Thursday.

Anwar, the former No. 2 leader of Malaysia, reacted angrily in a statement written from his jail cell. He called the remark made earlier this month by Information Minister Mohamad Rahmat not only false but "mischievous and arrogant and also utterly irresponsible."

At a political gathering on May 2, Mohamad said Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, grew up in neighboring Singapore and was sometimes called a "dragon's descendant," according to a report carried in Singapore's Straits Times.

In his statement, Anwar said Azizah was a Malay who was born in Singapore while her father was working there. He accused Mohamad of trying to aggravate already strained relations with Singapore, which is predominantly Chinese.