KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the previous administration had spent RM700 million from 2020 to 2022 on promotion and publicity work.
He said this in reply to a query from Batu member of parliament (MP) P. Prabakaran, who wanted an answer to the total promotional spending by the government from 2020 until now.
Anwar said more than RM500 million was spent during (the leadership of) Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's time, and the remainder was spent under Bera MP Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's tenure as prime minister.
The prime minister said he considered the average RM300 million a year spent on promotional activities as a violation of "regulations and decorum".
Anwar said the current unity government did not allocate any funds for promotional spending for 2023.
"There is no allocation for 2023...we will only fulfil whatever contract was signed during Bera's time," he said.
Anwar stated that he had instructed the Finance Ministry, limiting the allocation for publicity work in 2024 to no more than RM100 million.
"The government should not be burdened with spending on advertisement and extra publicity," he emphasised.
Anwar mentioned that the existing mechanisms or councils could be utilised to elucidate the government's new programmes or policies.
"We encourage ministers, deputy ministers, also MPs to just go down to the field and explain the programmes to the public," he said.
Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has impugned the prime minister to reveal details of Muhyiddin's government spending.
"A significant amount was spent during Pagoh's time, as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic," Saifuddin stated.
He further suggested that the substantial spending might have been directed towards Covid-19 related initiatives rather than promoting the achievements of the former administration.
Acknowledging that a portion of the allocation may have been dedicated to disseminating Covid-19 related information, Anwar emphasised that most of the spending was carried out directly by the Prime Minister's Office.
"This includes media buying, buying advertisement (space) or paying selected media to promote the Prime Minister apart from the government," he said.