KUALA LUMPUR – PAS lawmakers scoffed at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) with a juvenile gibe in Parliament today, likening him to a mynah bird for his ignorance of certain government projects.
During his debate on Budget 2023, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Kubang Kerian-PN) questioned Putrajaya’s decision to cancel and re-tender six RM15 billion flood mitigation projects, claiming that the call is nonsensical as some of the projects have barely begun.
“It’s a bit strange (for Anwar) to say that he wants to cancel (flood mitigation) projects that haven’t even started yet. There are no acceptance letters, no contractors (have been appointed).
“Instead of saving funds as the government claims, the postponement of the projects will only lead to more losses as costs will go up every time the project is set back,” the PAS deputy president said.
Fellow party member Datuk Rosol Wahid then interrupted Tuan Ibrahim’s speech to question if the latter thinks that the prime minister “perhaps does not understand” what he is talking about.
“Kubang Kerian, would you agree that based on what Tambun said (about cancelling the flood mitigation projects), he may not know what he is speaking of and is like a talking mynah bird?” Rosol queried.
In response, an evidently amused Tuan Ibrahim said: “I agree that he (Anwar) is a mynah bird because even he doesn’t understand what he is saying.”
Mynahs are renowned for being loud and boisterous, with some being able to mimic sounds, including human speech.
Tuan Ibrahim claimed that the construction of the Sg Klang-Sg Rasau dual-function reservoir and the Sg Golok Integrated River Basin Development Phase 3 do not even have contractors yet, with the former still being in “negotiation stages”.
During the tabling of the revised Budget 2023 in Parliament last Friday, Anwar had announced the cancellation of all unimplemented projects awarded under direct negotiation by previous administrations.
The projects include flood mitigation works at Sg Johor, Kota Tinggi, Johor as well as the Sg Klang-Sg Rasau and Sg Golok projects.
He also said that the government is projected to save RM2 billion from the initial RM15 billion allocated for flood mitigation projects.
“Flood mitigation projects that were approved in haste have been cancelled and are now being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” Anwar had said. – The Vibes, March 1, 2023
