Mahathir calls Anwar 'an amazing liar' for questioning legitimacy of his sons' wealth

Ex-Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has hit back at current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for raising doubt that the former leader's sons might have gained their wealth through illegitimate means.

Anwar was speaking on an Indonesian news show in late July when he suggested in hypothetical terms that if Mahathir's sons declared billions of ringgit in assets, they should explain the source of this wealth.

If they were unable to do so, the money should be returned to the government, Anwar added.

On Aug. 5, Mahathir dismissed the allegations in a Facebook post calling Anwar "an amazing liar".

He questioned where Anwar got his figures and statements, and said that they are not true.

Wealth declarations

Following a probe into Mahathir, his sons declared their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in January 2025, The New Straits Times reported.

Mokhzani and Mirzan Mahathir declared about RM 1 billion (S$305 mllion), with a personal value of RM 316 million (S$96.4 million), and RM 246.2 million (S$75 million), with a personal value of RM 120 million (S$36.6 million), respectively.

Mahathir said the amount was not in cash, but also made up of property, shares, liabilities, and more, acquired over more than 20 years of doing business, he said, adding that such properties would appreciate in value over time.

Commissioner carried out investigation

The MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki, who received the declarations directly, had stated that he was satisfied with them, Mahathir said.

He made the distinction that MACC did not state that the sources of the wealth were "unclear or illegitimate."

Instead, MACC and Azam Baki said they cannot state they are satisfied “if the declarations are unclear or illegitimate”.

Mahathir asked if Anwar was asking his sons to sell their assets and donate the proceeds to the government, and if so, on what grounds.

On "Turun Anwar" protest

In the same Facebook post, Mahathir also responded to the massive Jul. 26 "Turun Anwar" (Step down, Anwar) protest in Kuala Lumpur, which he participated in along with former PM Muhyiddin Yassin and former MP Azmin Ali.

He clarified that the rally "was not about supporting [him] or [his] sons", but about Anwar causing "a lot of misery among the people", prompting them to demand his resignation.

Mahathir suggested that Anwar hold new elections to see whether the people want him to remain as prime minister.

You can see his post below:

Top images from Mahathir and Anwar's Facebook pages, and Canva