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.