AN opposition MP has requested for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be referred to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee over a statement he made about the alleged RM10 bil diesel subsidy misappropriation.
In claiming that Anwar had misled the Dewan Rakyat, Hulu Terengganu MP Datuk Rosol Wahid said that he had submitted a letter to the Dewan Rakyat speaker on the matter yesterday (March 14).
“Anwar’s speech during the tabling of the 2023 Budget on Feb 23 contained statements that may mislead the Dewan Rakyat and can be seen as insulting Parliament,” Rosol told the August house.
“He said there were diesel subsidy leakages of RM10 bil a year, when the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry said it had seized RM18.7 mil (worth of subsidised diesel) between 2018 and 2022.
“And the minister only just said it would form a task force to investigate the RM10 bil leakage.”
In another response given the day after the budget was submitted, Rosol stated that the ministry was only now finally starting to collect data on the issue.
“There are contradictions with the data given by the ministry and the remarks made by Tambun (Anwar),” he added.
According to Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor, this is a serious matter that must be referred to the Speaker for a decision.
“To coordinate all decisions in Parliament, both (Deputy Speaker) Alice Lau and myself will refer to the speaker,” Ramli remarked.
During the tabling of the 2023 Budget, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, stated that subsidised diesel leakages were estimated to be worth nearly RM10 bil last year.
Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, stated on Mar 9 that five ministries will further meet in the coming weeks to review the report.
Aside from Salahuddin’s ministry, the other four were the Finance, Home, Defence as well as Agriculture and Food Security Ministries. – March 15, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
