Rare praise for Guan Eng from PAS MP over funds for tahfiz schools

 

Ahmad Fadhli Shaari says that although he had many quarrels with Lim Guan Eng, he was happy with the then finance minister’s allocation of RM100 million for tahfiz schools.

KUALA LUMPUR: Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) received rare praise from a PAS MP in the Dewan Rakyat today over how he allocated RM100 million for tahfiz schools under the 2020 budget when he was finance minister.

Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PAS-Pasir Mas) had urged Putrajaya to announce immediate cash aid for tahfiz schools, saying they have been suffering since the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns.

He added that many of these schools have been forced to close amid the pandemic, while maintaining that he had no qualms with government allocating funds for vernacular schools.

“During the previous (Pakatan Harapan government) era, although I disagreed a lot with Bagan (Lim), he allocated RM100 million for tahfiz schools.

“In this era, why not the government announce how much has been allocated as immediate aid for tahfiz schools?” he asked, while debating the Temporary Measures for Government Financing (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Amendment Act 2021 bill.

Fadhli also urged Putrajaya again to retract its decision to allow more special 4D draws to be held, hinting that it could cause other government MPs to retract their support for the Ismail Sabri Yaakob-led administration.

“Don’t force us government MPs to use threats, which should not be done when the government is trying to survive with a thin majority. There’s no need for it to come to that,” he said.

“I don’t want it to come to that, so I hope the government can retract this decision so we won’t incur God’s wrath.”

He reiterated that the additional special draws would not benefit the nation in the long-term, and the government could seek other avenues to generate revenue.

This is the second time Fadhli has urged Ismail’s government to go back on the decision to hold 22 special draws for 4D numbers this year, on top of the usual thrice-weekly draws.

Previously, he had warned Putrajaya that it would face “greater opposition” both in and outside the Dewan Rakyat if it did not retract its decision. - FMT