‘PM’s extra funds for battleground states a form of electioneering’

During Putrajaya’s three Aidilfitiri open houses, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced additional development funds for each state.

This, according to political economist Edmund Terence Gomez, can be considered a form of electioneering.

“Announcements are being made in the run-up to the state elections involving public funds and to my mind that is highly improper, leaving aside the fact that he (Anwar) is having open houses in the six states.

“This is a form of electioneering. These things are clearly being put in place in the run-up to the state elections.

“What we are seeing here is a concerted attempt to win the hearts and minds of the people, specifically the Malay majority constituencies,” he told Malaysiakini.

Three out of six Madani open houses have been held thus far, with the fourth taking place in Kelantan later today.

During the first open house in Kedah, Anwar announced that Putrajaya had allocated RM1.6 billion for the state’s development this year - a sum higher than provided in the previous years.

The following day, he announced the government was allocating an additional RM3.07 million to build the “Masjid Changlun” in Kedah, bringing the total budget for the project to RM5.77 million.

The following week, Anwar announced additional funds to finance Penang’s LRT project, during the state’s Madani open house.

On May 6, at the open house in Negeri Sembilan, the Tambun MP announced an allocation of RM1.2 billion for the implementation of socio-economic development in the state.

Anwar added the government was also allocating RM5.8 million for the repair of health clinics in Jelebu, Jempol, Kuala Pilah, Port Dickson, Rembau, Seremban and Tampin - and RM318 million for the construction of new mosques.

In calling for a better check and balance system to prevent abuse of public funds, Gomez said that current leaders were contradicting themselves.

“We should have a proper check and balance system in place, however, those systems have not yet been introduced.

“Trends have indicated that the current system allows for those in power to abuse it to serve their political or economic interests,” he said.

As such, Gomez opined that current leaders lacked the political will to bring about changes that they themselves have called for in the past.

“They themselves appear to be abusing the system to consolidate power,” he said.

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