“I am a hardcore supporter of Anwar. I support him. Whether or not he becomes the prime minister I will support him.
“I have always been his friend. When he was going through tough times, I still backed him. I attended Nurul Izzah’s wedding,” the former tourism minister told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
He added that the difference between them was that he remained in Umno despite Anwar’s fallout with the Barisan Nasional government 20 years ago.
Nazri said he was currently “laying low” as he was going through a transitional period.
“You know I have been in the government since 1995. I am trying to adjust myself to be in the opposition but it will take some time.
“But I think I will participate in the debates, contributing positively to debates on any bills,” he said.
On the arrests of Umno leaders for graft, Nazri said the issue should be seen from the perspective of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“What MACC has done, we need to accept and respect it. Don’t blame MACC (for doing their job). If we need to defend ourselves, we do it in court.
“Remember, I was once a minister overseeing MACC, from 2004 to 2013. I am confident and I believe in their freedom. And if they take a certain action, we need to respect that,” he said.
Last week, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was charged in court with 45 counts of money-laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption.