Hamzah added that both PN and BN respected the king’s decisions and would oppose anyone who challenged them.
“I would like to stress that for BN and PN, we revere the orders of the King, and if anyone opposes them, we will oppose them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar also addressed the controversy surrounding his involvement in Najib’s pardon, acknowledging that he had raised the matter for consideration.
“Yes, I was the one who raised the pardon for consideration in 2023,” he said.
Anwar said he had faced criticism over his involvement in the process, regardless of the position he took.
“Now, some of my friends are saying, ‘Look, Anwar was the one who did this. He betrayed us.’ If I don’t do it, I’m a traitor. If I do it, I’m still a traitor.”
He stressed that raising the matter for consideration did not mean he supported granting Najib a pardon or placing him under house arrest, but was part of a constitutional process that had to be respected.
Anwar’s remarks came as a video of him speaking in parliament in 2024 resurfaced and circulated widely online in recent days.
In the clip, Anwar acknowledged that he had brought Najib’s pardon application before the Pardons Board in 2024.
“I was the one who ensured that Najib’s pardon application was put on the agenda. Why did I do it? Because I felt it deserved to be considered,” Anwar said.
At the time, PH and BN were allies in the federal government. Their relationship has since become strained, with the two coalitions going head-to-head in recent state elections.
BN is the incumbent in the Melaka state government, and together with PN, the alliance is widely expected to secure a landslide victory on polling day.
The victory is expected to ramp up pressure on Anwar. Leaders for the two coalitions are expected to intensify calls for parliament to be dissolved to pave the way for Malaysia’s 16th General Election, which must be held by February 2028.
However, in his rally speech on Thursday, Anwar was adamant that he was personally not in favour of granting Najib house arrest, but maintained he still respected the decision by the King, Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
Anwar said he had also expressed reservations about the timing of any such decision, given the government’s efforts to combat corruption.
“In fact, I said perhaps our society is not ready. Because we are fighting a war against corruption. We do not want to send the wrong message,” he said.
“But His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, out of His Majesty’s compassion and after considering all the factors, decreed, ‘Grant house arrest.’ We comply. That is the Agong’s power, not the prime minister’s power,” he said.
“They accused me of being disloyal to the king. I am the prime minister, and the king called me this afternoon. We have a good relationship,” he said.
