KUALA LUMPUR – The financial incentives announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have nothing to do with the upcoming state elections, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Instead, Anwar said that the holding of state elections does not mean that ministers under the unity government can abandon their responsibilities.
“Nominations day was yesterday. The (federal) government is still operating. (Zahid’s announcement) has nothing to do with the state elections,” he said when approached by reporters at the National Consumers’ Day event here today.
Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, said this when questioned on allegations of Zahid misusing his ministry’s allocation to attract youth voters at an event in Terengganu a day before nominations day.
The prime minister also noted that it would be impossible for his administration to abide by calls requesting a halt to all government programmes and announcements until voting day on August 12.
“The cabinet has already decided that we should not be using government projects or public funds to campaign (for the state polls), but this does not preclude the necessity of (the federal government) continuing with its work,” he explained.
“For example, there is an impending project in Penang on August 5, which was decided last month. I wouldn’t cancel that, but I don’t want candidates to be around or see any party posters. It should purely be a government event.”
Through his post as the rural and regional development minister, Zahid announced on Friday that two federal allocations totalling RM350,000 for youth development activities in the state may be increased based on the youth’s performance during the state polls.
Yesterday, the Kuala Terengganu division of the youth-based party Muda lodged a police report against Zahid over his alleged acts of vote-buying.
Earlier today, Sinar Harian reported that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had found that the grants were deemed to be ministerial allocations issued at the federal level with no element of corruption. – July 30, 2023