SHAH ALAM – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had consistently assured Malaysians during the 15th General Election (GE15) campaign that he would forgo his salary if elected.
True to his word, he has not taken a salary even six months after assuming office.
Despite this, Anwar is ranked 17th on a list of the world's 18 wealthiest leaders, with his assets reportedly valued at USD 2.4 million (approximately RM11 million), as reported by Love Money website on Nov 21.
In November 2022, Anwar declared his assets, which included a house and three plots of land, in an effort to encourage opposition candidates to follow suit ahead of the election.
The report also highlighted that Anwar declined to use a Mercedes-Benz limousine purchased by a former prime minister, who is now serving a prison sentence for corruption.
Notably, other Asean leaders featured on the list of the world's richest leaders include Philippine President Bongbong Marcos and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Following is the list of all figures under the top 18 richest world leaders:
1. Russia: Vladimir Putin
– USD 200 billion (approximately RM892.5 billion)
2. North Korea: Kim Jong-un
– USD 5 billion (approximately RM22.3 billion)
3. China: Xi Jinping
– USD 1.5 billion (approximately RM6.6 billion)
4. Syria: Bashar al-Assad
– USD1.5 billion (approximately RM6.6 billion)
5. Equatorial Guinea: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
– USD600 million (approximately RM2.6 billion)
6. Azerbaijan: Ilham Aliyev
– USD 500 million (approximately RM2.2 billion)
7. Türkiye: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
– USD 500 million (approximately RM2.2 billion)
8. Rwanda: Paul Kagame
– USD500 million (approximately RM2.2 billion)
9. South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa
– USD 450 million (approximately RM2 billion)
10. Kenya: William Ruto
– USD400 million (approximately RM1.7 billion)
11. France: Emmanuel Macron
– USD 31.5 million (approximately RM140 million)
12. Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky
– USD20 million (approximately RM89.2 million)
13. USA: Joe Biden
– USD 10 million (approximately RM44.4 million)
14. Canada: Justin Trudeau
– USD 5 million (approximately RM22.2 million)
15. Singapore: Lawrence Wong
– USD 5 million (approximately RM22.2 million)
16. Philippines: Bongbong Marcos
– USD 3.6 million (approximately RM16 million)
17. Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim
– USD2.4 million (approximately RM10.7 million)
18. Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro
– USD2 million (approximately RM8.9 million)