KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 17 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has condemned criticism of Hannah Yeoh and Lo Su Fui's appointments to the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), saying it was "atrocious" to reject leaders purely on the basis of race.

Speaking to editors and senior journalists during a briefing at Seri Perdana today, Anwar said it was unacceptable - and incomprehensible - that such views were still being expressed in contemporary Malaysian politics.

"To reject a person because of her colour and race, this is atrocious in this day and age.

"Sometimes, I just can't understand the level of tolerance of some people.

"Some groups, considered most corrupt in decades, they got away because of sympathy," he said, ...