PARLIAMENT | The prime minister should sack the finance minister over the declining ringgit, said Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin in a broadside against Anwar Ibrahim, who holds both posts.
Hamzah (PN-Larut) said Anwar, when he was in the opposition, was very vocal against past finance ministers when the ringgit declined, and thus must apply the same standards to himself.
“If on Oct 4, 2022, as opposition leader, Tambun (Anwar) could scold the finance minister (Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz) over the ringgit drop, now as prime minister, should scold the current finance minister (Anwar).
“He (Anwar) should sack the finance minister,” the Bersatu secretary-general said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this while debating Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address to Parliament.
On Oct 4, 2022, Anwar in Parliament expressed exasperation that Zafrul was not more concerned about the decline in the ringgit, which he said was causing food prices to go up.
At the time, the ringgit was around RM4.64 to the US dollar.
Last Tuesday, the ringgit dipped to around RM4.8 to a US dollar - the lowest since the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis.
Anwar, however, had said that unlike in 1998, investor confidence in Malaysia remained high, while inflation and unemployment were in decline.
He has also said other regional currencies were also sliding, while Bank Negara said that the ringgit was being undervalued.
Besides Anwar’s remarks on Oct 4, 2022, Hamzah also read out several other quotes attributed to the prime minister in criticising others over the ringgit’s performance.
This included one remark reportedly from Nov 15, 2022 during the 15th general election, in which Anwar purportedly said: “Muhyiddin (Yassin as premier), ringgit fell. Ismail Sabri (Yaakob as premier), the ringgit fell. Muhyiddin, prices went up, Ismail Sabri prices went up. That is why we must change, let Anwar bring prices down”.
Hamzah also chided Anwar for saying on Saturday that the ringgit decline should not be turned into a political punching bag.
“When it hits him instead, he taichi (deflects) all the way,” he said.
He added that Anwar as premier and finance minister should take the bull by the horns and be responsible for the ringgit’s performance. - Mkini
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