BUKIT MERTAJAM – The role of a prime minister is not to spread lies but to tell people the facts as they are while finding solutions, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The nation’s tenth prime minister told a crowd here that he does not make up figures on the country’s situation and what he has uttered are based on facts from files and information made available to him in the government.
Referring to social media postings critical of him, Anwar said that he is aware that some quarters are condemning him online.
“I know there are comments like ‘Anwar likes to toy with numbers’. I seldom want to answer these, but I want to say here that any investigation into alleged corruption is for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to look at.”
“But believe me, in my current position, I will not issue baseless statements,” he said when attending a community feast at Galeri Pejuang in Cherok To’ Kun here last night.
This was a homecoming for the Tambun MP after he was sworn in as the 10th prime minister on November 24 last year after a bruising 15th general election.
Cherok To’ Kun holds a special place in his heart as it is where he grew up and where his character was formed by his family. He recalled that his late grandmother had taught him that stealing is sinful no matter who the wealth is taken from.
Anwar also said as finance minister he has seen sensitive files.
“There are people who ask: Anwar, if there are wrongdoings, why not prosecute?
“Prosecution is not my job. Do not challenge me, though,” he said.
Later, he told a press conference that PAS has a right to decide when it wants to hold the state elections in the three states it controls – Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, but he stressed that it will cost more for the Election Commission to conduct separate state polls.
Anwar also said that the government is devoting many resources to ensuring that the prices and supply of essentials such as poultry, eggs, and greens are adequate to meet consumer demand.
He said this in response to a statement by his predecessor Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who reprimanded Anwar’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli for urging consumers to boycott outlets which sell pricey food.
Ismail Sabri was reported as saying that as restaurant operators are buying raw materials at a high cost, the government must ensure these prices are reduced to help them sell food at reasonable prices.
Anwar also said that he will consider increasing federal allocations for Penang, despite the shortcomings the treasury faces due to the mounting debt.
He added that the role of the government is to set a good example and to stop actions that can destroy the country.
He later flew back to Kuala Lumpur and is scheduled to make an official visit to neighbouring Brunei starting today. – The Vibes, January 24, 2023
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