Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed claims that his administration is neglecting the interests of the bumiputera community, particularly Malays.
He said one of the measures the government has taken was the creation of new Malay reserve land in Kuala Lumpur after discovering that the amount of such land had been declining.
“Since independence in 1957, there has been no new Malay reserve land in Kuala Lumpur… all that existed had been sold.
“(When) I took over (the country’s leadership) in 2022, in 2023 we reclaimed 194.3ha of Bandar Malaysia land (which had previously) become the property of China and private companies. I reclaimed it because it violated regulations.
“After reclaiming it, I took over (the land) to be managed by Petronas and Khazanah (Nasional) because these are institutions controlled by Malays.
“Within that area, I set aside 20ha as a Malay reserve (land), the most valuable land in Kuala Lumpur,” he said, according to Bernama.
DAP okayed it too
Elaborating, Anwar said the proposal did not face objections from DAP when it was brought up for consideration by the cabinet.
He said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who is also transport minister, merely sought clarification on the rationale behind the government’s decision to implement the move.
“I said it was because Malay reserve land in Kuala Lumpur was dwindling. It has become my responsibility to send a clear message. He (Loke) said okay.
“There were no objections at the cabinet meeting. Therefore, for the first time in history since Independence (in) 1957, the Madani government declared the most valuable land in Kuala Lumpur as Malay reserve land,” he said.
Tabung Haji RCI ‘not PM’s job’
On a separate matter, Anwar said the cabinet will decide on Wednesday whether to make public the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into Tabung Haji.
He said the issue would be deliberated at the weekly cabinet meeting before a final decision is made on whether to release the report.
“There has been some debate over Tabung Haji. I do not wish to comment at length, but hopefully at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting we can reach a decision. There is a report, and the public should be allowed to read it.
“If nothing is wrong, stand up for it. If something is wrong, prosecute. If found guilty and sentenced to prison, then serve the sentence. It has nothing to do with me.
“Our system is clear; investigations are carried out by the investigating authorities, prosecutions by the attorney-general, and judgments by the courts. That is not the prime minister’s job,” he said.
Anwar said that as prime minister, he was duty-bound to uphold integrity and adhere to the constitutional process as well as established legal procedures.
Last Thursday, Anwar said the government was prepared to release the final RCI report on Tabung Haji soon, allowing the public to learn the findings of the inquiry into allegations involving the sale of the pilgrimage fund’s strategic assets.
The prime minister said he would consult the chief secretary to the government on whether the report needed to be referred to the cabinet before its release. - Mkini
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