The Unity Government continues to place public interest as its priority, including in opposition states, in line with the spirit of Malaysia MADANI.

Several analysts have dismissed claims that the four opposition states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu have been neglected by the federal government, including in terms of development.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political analyst Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said the government’s commitment has been implemented without bias to ensure the people’s welfare and prosperity.

“The federal government is always working on fostering closer ties with opposition states with the intention of taking care of the people and providing them various benefits.

“It needs to be stressed that allocations channelled by the federal government are not for political purposes, but for the good of the people, especially in issues such as development, disaster, and education, which would be provided without considering who is administering the state,” he told Bernama.

Ahmad cited the example where the federal government announced an immediate aid of RM100 million to Kelantan and Terengganu after they were severely hit by floods last December.

The government even agreed to boost flood mitigation efforts in Sungai Golok, Kelantan even though it is under Perikatan Nasional (PN), he added.

Another analyst, Dr Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Razak Faculty Perdana Centre, considered the allocations for state governments as adequate and suited to their current needs.

Based on the Budget 2023, every state government’s budget would be based on needs and was fair without any neglect towards opposition states.

“The narrative stating that the federal government is neglecting opposition states is political rhetoric and not based on real facts.

“According to the facts, under the Budget 2023, allocations for states, including those under the Opposition, were raised and aid to Malaysians were included although not channelled directly to each constituency’s elected representative,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also previously stated that PN-led Kedah would continue to be a priority for the federal government, and received a higher expenditure allocation compared to previous years, exceeding RM1.6 billion this year, Mazlan said.

He also advised state governments to be prudent when spending the allocation and to prioritise the needs and interests of the people.

“We know that the government is promoting the concept of being prudent. The Prime Minister himself doesn’t take a salary and he has put an immediate stop to putting up billboards depicting his face and Malaysia MADANI that require government allocations.

“It’s all to avoid wastage. So those unnecessary items, like new office renovations, need to be deferred and focus is placed on the plight of the people due to rising costs of living,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency