Get your facts right, Sivarasa tells Zahidi on Orang Asli budget

 

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin should get his facts right before opening his mouth, said PKR MP R Sivarasa.

The former Deputy Rural Development Minister, in a statement, lambasted Zahidi after the latter reportedly told a group of Orang Asli in Negeri Sembilan that the previous Pakatan Harapan government gave them "zero".

"Zahidi's remarks were ill-informed statements that were made irresponsibly without referring to facts and documents.

"Allocations that were approved for the Rural Development Ministry for 2019 and 2020 were among the biggest that the ministry has received.

"The ministry also received the biggest development budget among all ministries, as usual," Sivarasa (above) said.

Zahidi claimed that the then Harapan government had neglected the Orang Asli and rural folks because they were staunch supporters of BN and Perikatan Nasional.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin

Sivarasa said that the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) also received its usual budget in October 2018 before it was transferred to the Prime Minister's Department. Jakoa is now parked under the portfolio of the National Unity and Social Wellbeing Minister.

"It is a slander to claim that Orang Asli received zero budget during Harapan time," he said. - Mkini