“We have been friends for many years, even before he joined Umno,” he said when met at the office of the Council of Eminent Persons here.
The spat occurred after Kadir uploaded an article in his personal blog, claiming RM257 million had been spent for the upkeep and personal expenditure of Sultan Muhammad V in the 16 months since he became the Agong.
“They are guaranteed by the constitution, lavishly provided for, wealthy, and even Anwar kissed their hands!” he said, adding that the rulers had no reason to fear for their positions.
Anwar had criticised the blog post, saying “respect and decorum must be maintained”.
Kadir, who is a member of the PPBM Supreme Council, had also accused Anwar of “behaving like a political commissar”, a reference to Soviet-era representatives of the political leadership in the military and government.
This was after Anwar made several visits to royal houses to explain Pakatan Harapan’s new federal government and reassure the Malay rulers about Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.
Kadir later quit as the spokesman for the Council of Eminent Persons.
Speaking today, Kadir added that there was nothing extraordinary about Anwar’s recent trip to London and his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and London mayor Sadiq Khan.
“He is free to travel abroad and meet people.
“Whether he has an official capacity in the government or not, it doesn’t matter because Anwar is a politician and he has his own audience,” he said.
Quarter-billion ringgit spent on Agong in 16 months, says former top editor