Zahid thanks followers 'abroad' in apparent response to Anwar's 'guru', 'slay' post

KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing exchange between Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim escalated as Zahid appeared to respond to Anwar's recent social media post. Zahid took to Facebook to thank his followers, both in the country and abroad, for their support of his policy speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly. Anwar, meanwhile, was abroad on an official visit to India.

Zahid's remark came amid the recent tensions between the two leaders. Earlier, Zahid had made a veiled jab at someone he referred to as "guru" regarding the unity government's inconsistent stance on the Budi Madani RON95 subsidised petrol quota and other issues, including the country's tax mechanism. Although Zahid did not name the individual, the term "guru" echoed a leaked audio recording of a telephone conversation between Zahid and Anwar from April 2021, where Zahid referred to Anwar as "guru."

In response, Anwar posted on Facebook, using the words "guru" and "slay" while sharing updates about his visit to India for the 18th BRICS Summit. Anwar also indirectly criticized his critics, referring to them as "students" learning the art of diplomacy. He concluded his post with "Slayyy." Notably, Anwar's use of "slay" mirrored Zahid's usage of the term in his speech where he encouraged younger individuals to share their ideas to strengthen Umno.