KUALA LUMPUR: Former law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has offered a piece of advice to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The former Umno supreme council member said Anwar should not listen to criticisms made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Nazri said this following Dr Mahathir's statement yesterday, where the former Langkawi member of parliament expressed his scepticism over Anwar's ability to address the country's economic situation.
"His (Dr Mahathir's) opinions count for nothing. Not only did he lose when he stood in Langkawi but he also lost his deposit alongside other members of the party (Pejuang) he led.
"He no longer commands the rakyat's respect. Anwar is now free to do what is good for the country, and we should allow him to do that," he said as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
In an interview with 'Berita Harian', Dr Mahathir said he was worried about Anwar's ability to come up with good strategies to bring the country out of the current economic crisis, adding that Anwar seemed preoccupied with maintaining support in the Dewan Rakyat.
Dr Mahathir claimed that Anwar, who was his deputy from 1993 to 1998, failed to solve the economic problems after becoming acting prime minister for a few months in the late 1990s.
The two-time prime minister also claimed that Anwar was more keen to follow the opinions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, adding that this could have forced Malaysia into bankruptcy at the time.
"When I was the prime minister, I went on holiday for two months and he (Anwar) assumed responsibility as acting prime minister. But he couldn't resolve the (then economic) problems.
"(Shortly after that), the economic crisis happened and the ringgit dropped in value. Anwar was the finance minister at that time," Dr Mahathir reportedly told BH.
However, Nazri refuted the claim, saying that Anwar did not have the authority to make any decision when Dr Mahathir was away on holiday.
"I spoke to Anwar at the time and he didn't have any power. Even though Dr Mahathir was on holiday, he was in control."
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago said Dr Mahathir had been "consistent" with his criticism of Anwar and that his opinion should be taken with "a pinch of salt".
"So far, Anwar's strategies and statements have been proactive and his priorities are right.
"The country should rally around him as we are dealing with an economy that requires everyone to put their minds together and work for success," he said.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan believed that Anwar has what it takes to run the country, citing the prime minister's quick announcement of his cabinet line-up.
"Anwar is way ahead of past prime ministers such as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
"Anwar is firm in what he wants to do. He is in the driver's seat and all the ministries under him are just waiting for his direction," he said.