YOUTH and Sports Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim has slammed Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for calling the unity government a “NATO (no action, talk only) government”.
Adam pointed out that all three issues mentioned by the Muar MP, notably allocations for the opposition, asset declarations by Cabinet members, and the dismissal of current corruption trials, have been explained numerous times either inside or outside Parliament.
On the asset declarations, the PKR youth chief stated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has taken a firm stance on the issue since January, ordering the creation of a more transparent and thorough procedure rather than just a declaration without a specific format.
“Not just in a press statement, it was also agreed upon at the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption (JKKMAR) meeting Series 17 Bil. 1 of 2023 which was chaired by the Prime Minister himself last July,” Adam said in a Facebook post last night (Sept 18).
The Hang Tuah Jaya MP also said that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) was explained in detail by Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in Parliament on Monday (Sept 18).
“The decision to drop the court case, which, I am sure, refers to the Deputy Prime Minister’s case, has been answered in detail in Parliament by Azalina in her capacity as Law and Institutional Reform Minister, while stressing the government’s commitment to the separation of powers between the Attorney-General (AG) and the Public Prosecutor.
“In fact, the decision to grant a DNAA to Zahid has also been brought to the attention of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee and will be answered by the Prime Minister himself in the Dewan Rakyat today (Sept 19),” he said.
At the same time, Adam stated that the government has constantly reminded the opposition to start negotiations on the allocation for the opposition MP.
“The same move was made by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the previous term; however, it has yet to be welcomed and is only being used as capital to argue at the Dewan Rakyat proceedings and perhaps as capital to lie to the people in their respective constitutions as if this government is tyrannical.
“I’m wondering, how about the allocation for Muar who was once in the government block. Has it been fully spent or how?” Adam asked.
Adam then asked Syed Saddiq to look at all the well-being policies that the government presented in the 2023 Budget instead of labelling the government as “no action, talk only” by only focusing on certain issues.
“Look at the welfare policies under Budget 2023 and ongoing initiatives to eradicate hardcore poverty, resolve the people’s problems, and basic needs including schools and healthcare facilities, clean water supply, post-pandemic economic recovery, and the energy transition that will soon begin,” he added.
Adam then said that he was baffled by Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s “pork barrel politics” criticism as Machang had received a sizeable allocation of RM1.44 bil for basic infrastructure, including for the construction of roads and bridges.
“This does not include the government’s commitment to solve the water supply issues (in Kelantan), which also reaches a billion ringgit.
“I asked myself, does this pork barrel politics take into account the amount of ‘oil barrels’ owned by the children of Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders,” Adam said. – Sept 19, 2023
