KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refuted allegations of cruelty and discrimination, stressing that his administration has actually increased allocations to states governed by the opposition.
Speaking for about four minutes, Anwar argued that branding the government as “cruel” was unjust.
“Although some accuse us of discrimination and cruelty, the data shows otherwise. Allocations for Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, and Kedah have risen — even higher than when they were in power,” he said.
“Do not claim we are cruel or withholding funds, because the allocations have in fact increased,” he added during the Prime Minister’s Question Time yesterday.
Anwar noted that his government had allocated RM1 billion to the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) for the first phase, expediting the disbursement process.
He also pointed out that in 2003, the state government had withdrawn funding for Sekolah Agama Rakyat, but the current federal administration reinstated it in 2022.
In a light-hearted remark, Anwar quipped: “The real cruelty was in cancelling the allocations — yet those responsible are the ones being praised.”
