SHAH ALAM – More corruption cases involving past leaders will be revealed soon, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hinted today.
Speaking at PKR’s special congress today, the party chief and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman said he had knowledge of more acts of graft committed by previous governments, but stopped short of providing details.
He was speaking on the government’s efforts to address issues faced by the rakyat, including the People’s Income Initiative, which is expected to benefit some 130,000 individuals suffering from hardcore poverty.
He also noted how his government had come to an agreement with Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, the business tycoon who controls Bernas, to give 30% of the firm’s profit to paddy farmers.
“These (initiatives) are our choices, but what did they (opponents) choose to do? RM200 million entered into a party’s account, and I don’t know what else.
“(Actually) I do, but I just haven’t publicised it yet,” Anwar said in his policy speech to party delegates today.
Anwar also reiterated his previous remarks about alleged systemic corruption in the government, citing the Jana Wibawa programme and flood mitigation projects, both of which saw contracts given by direct negotiation, as examples.
He then said he had recently been informed of “dubious management” in more government projects.
“Jana Wibawa is a Bumiputera initiative. Contractors should be Bumiputera, but Chinese are also benefiting from it. To add to this, the payments made are exorbitant.
“Then we discovered about other contracts. Even just now, there are more whispers. (DAP secretary-general) Anthony Loke Siew Fook has mentioned another (project) under his Transport Ministry,” Anwar said.
The prime minister also pointed to more potential controversies involving projects under the Home Ministry, currently headed by PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Anwar said that it was incumbent on his government to right these wrongs.
“It is not my intention to dig up these issues as ammunition to attack others. I just want to save public funds, and to return them back to the rakyat. This is my job.”
In his speech, Anwar also laughed off the opposition’s criticism of the government’s people-centric programmes, saying the attacks were perplexing as many beneficiaries included poor Malaysians from states under Perikatan Nasional.
“Even these you are questioning? It’s weird. We talk about (helping) the Malays and Muslims, about helping 130,000 of the poorest Malaysians, but yet we get opposition. Weird.” – The Vibes, March 18, 2023
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