Anwar challenges Hadi over ‘Dajjal’ label

PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has challenged PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to exercise greater restraint in his public statements, particularly when invoking religious terminology to condemn political positions or groups.

Anwar said Hadi, as a religious scholar, should be more measured in expressing his views, including his criticism of the confidence-and-supply agreement (CSA), which he reportedly described as a “Dajjal approach”.

“Tan Sri Hadi is a religious scholar. His statements should be more measured. They have tried to explain that he was not referring to me. That is fine, but to label a person, group or position as Dajjal is not appropriate,” he told reporters after the Prime Minister’s Golden Hand Awards 2026 ceremony at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Chancellor’s Hall in Ayer Keroh today.

Anwar also questioned PAS’s criticism of the CSA, arguing that the proposal had originally been put forward by Perikatan Nasional (PN), which includes PAS.

He said the proposal involved PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and several other leaders during the previous administration, adding that the same draft had been used in efforts to establish the agreement.

“Once again, I say that the party which submitted the proposal for the memorandum of understanding was Perikatan Nasional, which included PAS at the time, as well as Bersatu, while UMNO was together with Pakatan Harapan. We then signed it.

“So how is it that when they do it, it is not Dajjal, but when someone else does it, it becomes Dajjal? That is the problem. I do not think religion should be played with in this manner,” he said.

Hadi was previously reported to have described the signing of the CSA as a “Dajjal approach”, alleging that it amounted to a betrayal of trust.

He reportedly said the accepted practice worldwide was that national revenue belonged to the people, regardless of whether it was generated directly or indirectly.

Last week, the MADANI Government signed CSAs with 13 MPs, comprising seven representatives from Bersatu and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), as well as six Bersatu MPs expelled by the party in 2024.

Under the agreements, the 13 MPs agreed to support the MADANI administration until the end of the current parliamentary term, including in key votes involving Budget 2027.

In a related development, Anwar said he was prepared to make the CSA’s contents public following Takiyuddin’s demand for the government to disclose the details.

He said he had no objection to the disclosure, as the agreement’s principles were similar to those of previous memorandums of understanding.

“There is no secret. The principles are the same as before. I have no problem with it.

“I will convey this to Datuk Seri Fadillah (Yusof), the Deputy Prime Minister II, as he is responsible for it, and I have no objection to making it public,” he said.

Anwar said he would raise the matter with Fadillah at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting before proceeding with the disclosure.

Takiyuddin had called on the government yesterday to reveal the specific terms of the agreement, particularly the allocations involved, the mechanisms for channelling funds and how they would be implemented.

He said disclosure was necessary to ensure transparency and accountability, given that the other 62 opposition MPs had not received similar offers. - November 5, 2026