Sometimes we get carried away, Anwar tells voters

 

Anwar Ibrahim in Permatang Pauh, Penang, for the Qurban Perdana ritual sacrifice and distribution of meat to mark Hari Raya Haji today. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim has appealed to voters in Penang, especially Malay voters, to get over sentiments that were stirred during the parliamentary elections last November.

Addressing voters as his friends, he said: “I hope my friends in Penang know that sometimes we get carried away with sentiments,” Bernama reported.

He hoped that Penang voters would “recover” from the past election rhetoric and vote for the coalition parties in his unity government when elections to the state assembly are held in the coming weeks.

The Penang state assembly was dissolved on Friday, paving the way for fresh legislative assembly elections, which will also be held in five other states.

Anwar, who is prime minister, heads a unity federal government formed by an alliance of Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Parti Sabah and Warisan.

At the 2020 general election, Pakatan Harapan was opposed by BN as well as Bersatu and PAS in Perikatan Nasional, which now forms the federal opposition.

The Penang government was led by Pakatan Harapan, supported by BN, with the sole PAS assemblyman forming the opposition.

Anwar said: “We want the Penang government to (complement) the unity federal government … so that we can work with the federal government to champion the plight of the Malays in Penang.”

He said he had revived the Penang Bumiputera Development Council six months ago in order to defend the plight of the Malays in the state and ensure they do not feel left out.

In addition, Anwar said his unity government had demonstrated its sincerity in assisting the Malays by restructuring Felda’s loans to restore its financial position.

“Two days ago, I signed an agreement for the cancellation of 80% of Felda’s debt, of which 95% of its settlers are Malays,” he said.

Anwar explained that Felda’s high debt was the result of the agency’s poor management, not the fault of the settlers.

The prime minister was speaking at the Qurban Perdana event for the ritual sacrifice and distribution of meat to the poor to mark Hari Raya Haji, held in his former parliamentary constituency of Permatang Pauh. - FMT