PARLIAMENT | PAS lawmakers have likened Anwar Ibrahim to a mynah - a bird known to mimic human speech - while swiping at the prime minister over the cancellation of contracts for six flood mitigation projects under the previous government.
They alleged Anwar was oblivious to what was going on when he made the decision.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (above) questioned how the projects could even be cancelled before they had even begun.
He said the Sungai Klang-Sungai Rasau dual-function reservoir and the Sungai Golok Integrated River Basin Development Phase 3 projects do not even have contractors yet, with the former still being in the “negotiation stage”.
“It’s strange that the projects were cancelled when they have not begun.
“There are no acceptance letters and no contractors have been appointed to the projects. How can the projects begin when they haven’t started?
“Instead of saving funds as the government claims, the postponement of the projects will only lead to more losses as costs will go up every time the project is set back,” he said.
Tuan Ibrahim (Perikatan Nasional-Kubang Kerian) said this when debating Budget 2023 in Parliament today.
Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) then interjected with his avian comparison.
“Kubang Kerian (Tuan Ibrahim), would you agree that based on what Tambun (Anwar) said (about cancelling the projects), he maybe doesn’t know what he’s saying and is like a talking mynah? (macam burung tiong bercakap?)” Rosol questioned.
Tuan Ibrahim shared his party colleague’s sentiments, saying “I agree that he (Anwar) is a mynah because even he doesn’t understand what he is saying.”
He also stressed that the prime minister must provide an explanation on this matter as climate change is exacerbating the frequency of floods.
Flood mitigation projects
The Ismail Sabri Yaakob government previously allocated RM15 billion for its flood mitigation plans up to 2030 as part of its long-term strategy to adapt to climate change.
At the time, flood mitigation works were under the purview of the Environment and Water Ministry - headed by Tuan Ibrahim.
After the change in government, Anwar in December halted RM7 billion worth of flood mitigation projects which were supposedly approved via direct tender.
In the re-tabling of Budget 2023 last Friday, Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the six flood mitigation projects will be retendered by this June.
They include the Sungai Rasau, Sungai Klang, and Sungai Golok projects mentioned by Tuan Ibrahim today.
Anwar added that the country is expected to save RM2 billion from the cancellation of the projects and emphasised that procurements must undergo the open tender process. - Mkini
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