Anwar appoints pro-govt Bersatu MP to head living costs committee under Naccol

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal to head the government committee on rising food prices and cost of living.

Syed Abu Hussin, currently member of Bersatu, had declared his support for the prime minister during a Dewan Rakyat sitting on November 28 last year. He said that he wanted to help the government create a civil society to deal with the rising prices of goods and the cost of living.

Syed Abu Hussin, a former chairman of the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM), will head the cluster under the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol).

Anwar today said he has assigned Syed Abu Hussin to help Naccol due to his experience.

“I confirm this so that he can head the cluster, which will increase its efforts so the ‘Khidmat Demi Rakyat’ cheapest sales programme can be enhanced, expanded and held more frequently nationwide,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He said this in his speech after visiting the sales programme at the Klebang Restu public field in Ipoh today.

Also present was Syed Abu Hussin, who later told the media that he was ready to accept the responsibility, including implementing the sales programme nationwide.

He said that there are several methods to stabilise the prices of essential items, including rice.

“The earliest measure is on rice, followed by other items because rice is now a critical issue.

“So, if I am given the authority to manage this, Insya-Allah, we will show the people and the government that there are methods to stabilise the prices of main food items,” he said.

Syed Abu Hussin had claimed on Friday that ten more opposition MPs would declare their support for the prime minister.

Commenting on this, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today described such an eventuality as not impossible.

He said that the government is open to working with all parties, including the opposition, as the key focus now is to ensure unity among the people and development in the country.

"So, what the MP for Bukit Gantang mentioned is not impossible because maybe they (Bersatu MPs) have waited too long, and they may have been given promises (by their leadership) that have not been realised,” he said.

At a press conference two days ago, Syed Abu Hussin claimed that representatives from Bersatu from Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor and Melaka would declare backing for Anwar and the Unity Government before the opening of the next Parliament session on February 26.

He attributed financial challenges as the main factor for their expected move.

He stressed that every MP had promised to improve the lot of the people in their respective constituency, but after more than a year there was no proper support forthcoming from the party.

So far, five other Bersatu MPs have also declared their backing for Anwar, besides Syed Abu Hussin.

They are Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar). and Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan). – The Vibes, January 28, 2024