“This government does not permit ministers or leaders to touch a single inch of public land nor a single piece of timber,” he said. “If this happens, they will be stripped of their positions,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

Anwar said certain parties frequently slandered the government and played up religious sentiments but dared not ban their leaders from profiting from logging activities, contracts and shareholdings.

He said that his government had never betrayed Malaysians by reducing allocations as alleged by certain parties.

With the economic position showing improvements, there was greater hope for the country to develop, he said and noted that the government had even provided additional allocations for infrastructure projects in opposition states.

Anwar made his remarks while speaking at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa Terengganu event in Bandar Al Muktafi Billah Shah, Terengganu, today which was also attended by deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Central Terengganu Development Authority chairman, and several Cabinet ministers.