“It is thanks to the media’s ‘ampu’ culture that leaders have become spoiled,” he said at a ceramah in Seberang Jaya here.

“In the current euphoria, all the media outlets are supporting Pakatan Harapan (PH). Once we have settled down, the media has the right to criticise both the federal and state governments of PH.”

He said politicians in turn must accept the criticism instead of hitting out at the press.

Anwar said some examples of how the media had flattered leaders in the past was the way in which news outlets had falsely boasted about issues such as education and the economy.

“We used to get news like this: Malaysia has the best leader in the world, the best economy in the world, the best education in the world, the best healthcare in the world. Agriculture, factories, and even the best pay in the world, too.

“This is all nonsense and lies. We expect the media to air the people’s views, and the people should not be afraid to criticise.

“And leaders should not complain about the criticism like Umno leaders. They must be able to accept it,” he said.