Towards the end of his time with Umno, former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim would defend his boss Dr Mahathir Mohamad in public, but criticise him in private, a party veteran said.

"He would openly defend (Mahathir), but in private or among his close friends and political friends, he would criticise Mahathir from government policies, to his race, Umno's Lenggeng assemblyperson Ishak Ismail wrote in his witness statement in Anwar's defamation suit against Khairy Jamaluddin..