KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should ensure that the upcoming Malaysia Madani Hari Raya Aidilfitri open houses in six states are not paid for using taxpayer funds, an activist said.
Lawyer Charles Hector said the events should instead be funded by Anwar himself, or his coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH), to avoid “abuse or misuse of government funds and resources.”
Noting that the six states will be holding polls sometime this year, Hector said that it would be “wrong” for the prime minister to dip into government coffers to campaign for his coalition.
“The use of government powers to campaign for upcoming elections is certainly wrong and an abuse of government resources or funds.
“There is no issue if Anwar and PH – or other parties in the unity government – use their own monies and resources to hold such events, but it is wrong, in my opinion, if public or government monies is used (to host the open house events).”
“This is certainly against the call for free and fair elections,” he said in a statement posted on his blog today.
He asserted that since PH had previously criticised the use of government funds to benefit political parties and politicians, it should now “strictly stand against” any practices which would hint at power abuse.
Hector also claimed that there was “no need” for Anwar to host any open houses since the national debt stands at RM1.5 trillion.
Previously, critics had accused Anwar of using the Hari Raya open houses in the states as a form of election campaigning. However, the prime minister has denied such intentions.
The six states – Perikatan Nasional-held Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu as well as PH-led Selangor, Penang, and Negri Sembilan – are due to hold elections before September as they did not dissolve their assemblies simultaneously with Parliament for the general election last November.
On Monday, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that the six open house events are considered to cost less compared to those conducted by previous governments.
According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Department, the national-level open house programme in Kedah is expected to host some 25,000 guests.
Meanwhile, the other open houses are set to see 15,000 guests at each location. – The Vibes, April 26, 2023
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