Negotiate with us if you want allocations, Anwar tells opposition

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was responding to opposition MPs who said they had not received any allocations from the government.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has once again said opposition MPs must negotiate with the federal government if they want to receive parliamentary allocations.

Anwar told opposition MPs to learn from Pakatan Harapan MPs when they were in the opposition, in response to claims that opposition MPs had not been given any allocation by the government.

Anwar recounted in the Dewan Rakyat how PH had carried out a series of negotiations with then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in September 2021, which eventually led to the signing of a MoU – with equal allocation of funds for government and opposition MPs a key clause.

However, Anwar said this had not been the case with the current opposition MPs from Perikatan Nasional. The coalition had repeatedly refused to negotiate with Putrajaya, he added.

“(Allocations) are not the right of MPs. You have to negotiate and come to an agreement. Only then will your allocations be approved,” said Anwar when winding up the debate on the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan.

“If there are no negotiations, you will never get it (allocations) … No matter how long you wait!”

Earlier, in shooting down claims by some opposition MPs that they did not receive any allocation, Anwar cited the Ketereh and Sik parliamentary constituencies which had received 61 federal projects valued at RM2.12 million and 73 projects valued at RM3.73 million respectively.

Anwar was interrupted by Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) who said there was a clear difference between development allocations for parliamentary constituencies and allocations for MPs.

“So you (opposition) can’t say that there are no (development) allocations (for parliamentary constituencies),” said Anwar.

“But you can say that there are no (direct) allocations for MPs. Be specific.” - FMT