Speaking to more than 5,000 young people at a forum in Kuala Lumpur today, Anwar said his parents imbued in him a love of reading and love of his community which had remained with him.

His teachers at Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) instilled in him a spirit of discipline, he said, when asked about how he obtained the values that allowed him to endure over a decade in prison.

“My parents really encouraged me to read. My father was more into English. My mother preferred the Malay language. They also often encouraged me to be active in social and community activities,” he explained according to a Bernama report.

“Although we came from a middle-class family, my parents always took me to poverty-stricken areas. So our concerns (about the needy) were strong from an early age, as was our religious training,” Anwar said.

While studying at MCKK, his teachers had built upon this and instilled in him a strong sense of discipline.

“That’s why when people talk about race, even though I’m a strong-minded Malay who champions the (Malay) language and am proud of my culture, I have no hatred for other people.

“Although MCKK was a Malay college, the teachers who sacrificed and contributed so much for us were Malay, Chinese and Indian teachers, and their love for us showed that they were never prejudiced towards the Malay students. All this influenced (the students’) characters.

“I was in prison for almost 11 years and prison is hell on earth, so it was never easy. But I was stubborn enough to insist on changing the system,” he said.

Anwar said that even while in jail, he remained determined to make Malaysia great and more humane, which prompted him to carry out charity work, memorise the Quran and read as many of his beloved books as possible.

“During the early stages, books were not allowed in my prison cell. But after a few years, they got tired of banning them and finally allowed them … and friends from all over the world sent books. The latest books from India, Indonesia, the US and the UK were sent to me.”