Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
AMPANG, October 23, 2026 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made an unannounced stop for lunch with residents of Pandan today after performing Friday prayers at Masjid Al-Mustaqim in Taman Nirwana.
Anwar said he joined the residents at Restoran Nasi Cikgu Sue, where they chatted over the meal and caught up with one another, and thanked them for the warm welcome despite the visit being made without prior notice.
“After performing Friday prayers at Masjid Al-Mustaqim, Taman Nirwana, I stopped for lunch with the people of Pandan at Restoran Nasi Cikgu Sue,” he said in a post shared on X.
“We had the chance to chat while enjoying the food and asking about each other’s well-being. Even without any earlier notice, they came to welcome us warmly in the spirit of close brotherhood and kinship,” he said.
“Thank you, people of Pandan. I hope we will have the chance to meet again,” the Prime Minister added.
The post was accompanied by four photographs from the visit. They show Anwar, dressed in a light blue baju Melayu and songkok, the congregation at the mosque, Anwar greeting a young boy surrounded by well-wishers, shaking hands with diners at the restaurant, and being met by a large crowd, many holding up their phones to capture the moment.
https://x.com/anwaribrahim/status/2113585339847815261
The visit came on a busy day for the Prime Minister, who also used the stop in Ampang to address questions over the government’s ban on civil servants using the Waze navigation app. Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers, Anwar said a nationwide ban on Waze would require careful study, but did not rule it out if local alternatives proved capable enough, Malay Mail reported.
“It must be studied what are the alternatives first, and if we find that local capabilities are good enough then we may consider prohibiting Waze altogether,” he was quoted as saying. He again defended the ban on civil servants as a crucial move to protect national security, saying checks had shown that Waze is governed by Israeli law.
The ban took effect immediately on October 21, 2026, following a decision by the National Cyber Security Committee chaired by Anwar, with the government encouraging Malaysians to switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority. In separate posts on X today, Anwar apologised for any inconvenience the decision may have caused, while stressing that national security and the protection of personal data could not be compromised.
Anwar described the impromptu lunch as reflecting the spirit of ukhuwah (brotherhood) and silaturahmi (kinship) shared with the community, and expressed hope that he would be able to return to meet the residents of Pandan again.
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