Cabinet performance is great, PM says while dismissing rift talks

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is happy with how his cabinet is performing and dismissed any talk about there being a rift in Putrajaya.

This is despite allegations of tensions between him and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as well as the Anwar-led Finance Ministry releasing unflattering data about how Zahid has managed the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

In a speech at the Plantations and Commodities Ministry monthly assembly today, Anwar said any impressions of a rift were just social media optics.

"We don't deny that our performance is commendable, because we have clear policies, stable politics, (and) cooperation in the cabinet, although sometimes on social media it appears differently.

"But in terms of cooperation, generally when we cooperate well, this gives an impression of stability and allows us to plan for the country," Bernama quoted him as saying.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that Anwar and Zahid's relationship has grown increasingly tense, leading to shorter recent cabinet meetings.

Citing sources “familiar” with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the friction stems from Zahid’s decision to lead BN into the Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections against Harapan.

Zahid had publicly expressed frustration over delays in funding disbursements to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry under the Finance Ministry, which Anwar headed.

He urged the Finance Ministry to expedite payments, saying contractors who had completed projects were still waiting for funds, with some forced out of business by cash-flow problems.

In response, Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican (above) said there are no sanctions imposed on the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s allocation for rural roads, which has already been fully disbursed.

He also painted the Rural and Regional Development Ministry as consistently going over budget, and said the Finance Ministry is working to identify cost savings in other ministries to support the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s excesses.

Yesterday, Zahid denied overspending, maintaining that he is in strict compliance with budget allocations.

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