Not only Indians, but all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, should reject Anwar Ibrahim’s apology for wrongly describing Hindu temples as “illegal”.

This apology is not an act of genuine remorse. It is a political exercise in damage control, made only after it became apparent that Indian voters are prepared to punish Pakatan Harapan at the ballot box in the NS elections —to the extent that even Anthony Loke is facing a real prospect of losing the Chennah state seat.

These are the reasons why Malaysians should reject Anwar’s apology:

1. He is fabricating an apology that never existed.
Anwar is now attempting to fabricate a false historical record by claiming that he had apologised at a forum at the University of Malaya for describing Hindu temples as "illegal". There is no record of any such apology because none was ever made. What he actually said was that his remarks had been misconstrued. Rebranding “misconstrued” as an apology is not contrition—it is an attempt to deceive the public.

2. He was the first Prime Minister to publicly stigmatise Hindu temples.
Anwar became the first Malaysian Prime Minister to publicly characterise Hindu temples as “illegal”, thereby fuelling public hostility towards places of worship. At the same time, he deliberately failed to address the long-standing historical reality that many Hindu temples were established during the colonial era, long before Merdeka.

3. His speech to the annual Police event encouraged a dangerous narrative.
At a national police event in 2025, Anwar delivered a fiery speech in an angry tone that could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging and “inciting” members of the police force to view the Jalan Masjid India temple as an “illegal temple”, despite the Government’s continued failure to disclose the historical records establishing the temple’s existence.

4. His words unleashed vigilantism.
During the height of the controversy, Anwar’s repeated references to “illegal temples” emboldened vigilantes to take matters into their own hands. Hundreds of Hindu temples were falsely labelled as “illegal” on Waze and other digital mapping platforms, further inflaming public hostility.

5. His rhetoric fuelled racial hatred.
Anwar’s speeches inflamed racial sentiments to such an extent that  individuals who believed him were charged and emboldened and may  have encouraged them to openly call for a repeat of the May 13 like riots and even threatened to bomb Hindu temples.

6. He refused to correct the false narrative despite repeated appeals.
Anwar knew that his speeches had inflamed racial and religious tensions between Muslims and Hindus. Yet he failed to take corrective action. On 25 March 2025, I publicly appealed to him to convene an urgent Special Cabinet Meeting to release the historical records of Hindu temples and correct the false narrative that his own statements had created. He ignored that appeal.

7. He failed to act to prevent escalating racial tensions.
Anwar failed to discharge his responsibility as Prime Minister when he ignored my letter dated 23 April 2025, which urged immediate intervention to defuse escalating racial tensions following threats to recreate a May 13-style riot and bomb Hindu temples.

8. He ignored a genuine proposal for national reconciliation.
Anwar also failed to act on my letter dated 19 May 2025 calling on him to demonstrate genuine commitment to national unity by establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry to honestly examine the state of racial and religious harmony in Malaysia and recommend meaningful reforms.

9. His failure continued to endanger national harmony.
Anwar’s continued refusal to clarify the historical and legal status of Hindu temples and his failure to provide responsible national leadership once again contributed to heightened racial tensions that nearly culminated in racial confrontation in late January and early February 2026.

Anwar Ibrahim’s apology cannot erase the damage caused by his words or his subsequent inaction. A genuine apology requires truth, accountability and meaningful corrective action. None of these has been forthcoming. He is apologizing now for fear of losing the NS state elections on Saturday and eventually the GE 16.

Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy

President

Malaysian Advancement Party

30.7.2026