KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated his willingness to forgive those who slander him but not those who plunder the public coffers.
The Prime Minister, in an Astro Awani report, said he was committed to rooting out graft and embezzlement in the country, and ensuring that those involved were investigated and faced appropriate action.
"I can forgive everyone else... but what I cannot forgive is (those) stealing government land, stealing the people's land, timber theft, misusing public's trust. If you steal and plunder my projects, I won't forgive you.
"I will find out, investigate... I will look for you, investigate and the Attorney-General will prosecute you, the judge will sentence you, I'll send you to Sungai Buloh Prison, the cell is still empty," he was quoted as saying.
The mention of Sungai Buloh served as a recall of the three-year incarceration he underwent following a conviction on a sodomy charge in 2015.
He regained his freedom in 2018 thanks to a complete royal pardon.
Anwar stressed that the government's anti-corruption endeavors weren't driven by past grudges or personal vendetta but by a genuine aspiration to eradicate corruption, regardless of individuals' status or age.
On concerns about interference in investigations, he said that he has not intervened in any probes.
"Who appointed the Chief Commissioner (Tan Sri Azam Baki)? (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin), who appointed the Attorney General (Tan Sri Idrus Harun)? Muhyiddin.
"So, he (Muhyiddin) thinks when he appoints, he can get away with it? Before, he said he was clean and people believed him," he said.