Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should be given room to lead the nation until the end of his term, Dayak Daily reported.

Karim said it was inappropriate to call for a leader to relinquish his duties before the end of his term, and that the rally did not contribute to political stability.

“When elections are approaching, all sorts of things happen. If he has been elected and appointed, let him complete his term in office.

“Just because of a small mistake, we should not immediately demand his resignation. That’s not the right approach,” the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu information chief was quoted as saying, without elaborating what the “mistake” was.

The Turun Anwar rally held from about 11am to 5pm yesterday was organised by PAS Youth, with protesters calling for Anwar to step down as prime minister over the rising cost of living, among others.

The organisers had initially hoped for 300,000 participants, while PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari claimed 500,000 protesters turned up.

However, Kuala Lumpur police estimated that only 18,000 people took part in the rally.