SUNGAI SIPUT: Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that he would not take his salary if he is appointed the prime minister, as a show of solidarity with the people who are struggling with the rising cost of living.
The opposition leader said he was taking the initiative because he was ashamed that the people were struggling with rising prices while their salary remained the same.
"I will not take a salary as the prime minister because I am ashamed to take an RM80,000 salary when the Orang Asli villagers I visited find it difficult to get RM400 a month, so do people who are receiving RM1,500 (minimum salary)," he said in a ceramah at Taman Orkid here.
Also present was PH Sungai Siput candidate S. Kesavan.
Anwar said in order to strengthen the faith of the people who assumed all politicians are the same and are only interested in enriching themselves, he has determined that he and his family members will not receive any government projects.
He said this includes his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is the PKR Advisory Council chairman, and his daughter Nurul Izzah, who is PKR vice president and PH candidate for Permatang Pauh.
Anwar said if he was given the mandate, he promised to change the policy to favour the rice farmers instead of the cartels that monopolise the import of rice into the country with regards to the portion of profits which amounts to more than RM400 million.
"Now, Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) could not give (the portion) of the rice import profits to the rice farmers who are mostly poor. The current leadership does not dare to speak about it (the RM400 million a year profit) because they are afraid of the rich 'tauke'.
"Give me a week (after becoming PM), I will call all the 'tauke' to talk about the profit distribution," said Anwar.
He also claimed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the administration of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin awarded projects worth RM580 billion without any tender process.
"All of a sudden, projects worth RM580 billion were awarded without any tender process. That is why he extended the MCO, he wanted to give out projects without any tender. How can this be?
"He made the rules in this country, no tender. Who did this? Muhyiddin. Who supported him? (Pas president Tan Sri) Hadi Awang," said Anwar.