PUTRAJAYA: In a firm rebuke to federal lawmakers who had directed insults at the government, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declared that funds allocated for the constituents under the opposition would instead be funnelled directly to the people.
In his winding up speech at the PKR National Congress, Anwar, who is party president, said the government would continue its commitment to channel allocations, as he had done since taking over Putrajaya.
"We have increased the allocations for parliamentary constituents, I have mentioned in Parliament. Allocations for Pas and Bersatu constituents, we have continued. Schools, mosques and housing infrastructure, we have done everything.
"We did not channel those funds through the lawmakers (but) straight to the people. Why do we need to channel (the funds) through those MPs that have been hurling insults at us every day, trying to topple us," he said, as the more than 2,500 delegates and guests roared and clapped in agreement with him at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here today.
Apart from that, Anwar also denied he had enticed Bersatu lawmakers who had pledged allegiance to the government.
He also emphasised that he never met the four Opposition MPs from the Malay-nationalist party before they announced their support for his administration.
"When they said they wanted to meet me, I told them to make a decision (on supporting the government) first, before meeting me," he added.
Last week, Anwar said the four Bersatu MPs who declared support for the unity government did so on their own accord after suffering a trust deficit towards their own party leadership.
He said the MPs switching support to his administration was unlike what the architects of the Sheraton Move had engineered leading to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government previously.
Anwar, who is Finance Minister, added that after the MPs switched their support, allegations of bribery had surfaced.
He said the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) was free to investigate as the government had nothing to hide.
It was reported that the MACC would be summoning the four MPs as part of its probe following allegations of bribery.
They are Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Kuala Kangsar MP Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim and Jeli MP Zahari Kechik