KUALA LUMPUR – The claim that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the 17th richest leader in the world is unfounded, said Anwar’s political secretary, Datuk Ahmad Farhan Fauzi.
He said, in fact, compared to other leaders in Malaysia, the Prime Minister’s assets are not among the highest.
In a statement, Farhan said that such baseless accusations are a classic example of defamation that can tarnish an individual’s reputation without solid evidence. In Islam, he added, such actions are considered a grave sin.
“However, recently, the same data was misused to spread the claim that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the ‘17th richest leader in the world,’ suggesting that his wealth was acquired unlawfully,” Farhan said in a statement on Facebook today.
The accusation originated from Mohd Yusni Mat Piah, the PAS assemblyman for Penaga, who had cited the dubious ‘Love Money’ source to claim that the Prime Minister is the 17th richest leader globally.
Following the revelation, Mohd Yusni apologised and withdrew his statement after Lee Boon Heng (PH-Kebun Bunga) raised the matter in the Penang State Legislative Assembly (DUN), urging him to retract the claim and apologise for using a questionable source to determine the Prime Minister’s wealth.
According to a report by Love Money, the world’s richest leader is Russia’s Vladimir Putin, with a fortune of USD 200 billion, followed by North Korea’s Kim Jong-un (USD 5 billion), China’s Xi Jinping (USD 1.5 billion), Syria’s Bashar al-Assad (USD 1.5 billion), and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea (USD 600 million).
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also made the list, ranking 15th with a fortune of USD 5 million, while Bongbong Marcos of the Philippines was placed 16th with USD 3.6 million.
According to the same report, Anwar was allegedly ranked 17th, with a wealth of USD 2.4 million (RM 11.3 million).
On March 7, 2019, the Prime Minister declared assets worth RM 10.7 million to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), as required by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government at the time.
Farhan explained that the declaration did not raise any issues at the time, as it was accompanied by a detailed explanation of how those assets were acquired.
“A significant portion of his assets is based on the current estimated value of his properties, including a RM 9.5 million house in Bukit Segambut, which was originally bought for RM 4.5 million following the sale of his Bukit Damansara home in 2005,” he said.
“Additionally, a plot of land in Permatang Habib, Mukim Penor, Kuantan, Pahang, bought in 1974 for RM 7,000, is now estimated to be worth RM 420,000.”
He also clarified that the assets were obtained legally and could be proven through purchase documents and legitimate financial records.
“At the time, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s declaration did not become an issue because many PH Cabinet members and MPs had assets far exceeding his,” Farhan noted.
He further listed several MPs and Cabinet members with higher asset values at the time, including Datuk Dr R Santhara Kumar (Segamat) at RM 132.1 million; Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas) at RM 77.0 million; Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi) at RM 32.3 million; Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun) at RM 25.1 million; Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof (Alor Gajah) at RM 23 million; Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin at RM 15.3 million; and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh) at RM 14.3 million.
Farhan added that the asset declarations of PH government members were praised by the public for demonstrating their commitment to transparency and integrity—something most opposition leaders have not been able to achieve.
“As Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is actively working to foster good relations with state governments, including those led by opposition parties. This is a wise step to ensure cooperation between the federal and state governments in delivering the best services to the people,” Farhan said.
“However, such efforts can be disrupted if there are elements of defamation and immature politics attempting to sow division. Cooperation between the federal and state governments requires trust, and defamation only undermines this foundation.” – December 1, 2024