COMMENT | Akmal holds country to ransom while Anwar keeps silent

COMMENT | Why did it take so long for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to break his silence about the socks scandal?

As prime minister, he lacked leadership and failed to nip the socks issue in the bud. Instead, he allowed the publicity-seeking firebrand, Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh, to create chaos and disturb the peace.

Why didn’t Anwar intervene earlier? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that both men claim to defend Islam and be the spokesperson for Malays.

One will shout loudest that he is willing to lose his position for defending Islam, while the other maintains a long silence because he does not want to be seen as stopping Akmal, the self-proclaimed ‘defender of Islam’.

Anwar only broke his silence on March 20, more than a week after the socks issue first surfaced.

During this crucial period, KK Mart...