THE Malaysia Madani Open House with the Prime Minister plans to bring government officials, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself, closer to people in different states, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
According to the Kota Raja MP, the open houses, which will be conducted in six states in conjunction with the 2023 Aidilfitri celebrations, will allow individuals from outside Putrajaya to attend the event.
“Not everyone is blessed with the resources or time to travel to the national open house in Putrajaya or Kuala Lumpur,” he remarked.
“By hosting the open house in different states, such as Kedah and Terengganu, we are providing an opportunity for locals to attend and interact with the Prime Minister.
“This will allow him to meet as many people as possible. If we were to hold the open house in Kuala Lumpur, people may question why we didn’t choose a state with a larger population of B40 groups.”
Mohamad was addressing reporters upon attending an open house for Amanah Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Kuala Kedah.
Mohamad was addressing reporters after attending the Amanah Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Kuala Kedah yesterday (April 23).
He emphasised that the open house tour’s destinations, which included opposition-held states such as Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, were not influenced by the approaching state elections.
“It’s solely the Prime Minister’s prerogative. He can choose wherever he wants to hold the open house. He can even have the celebrations in Sabah or Sarawak.
“Just like this year, we planned on celebrating Merdeka in Sarawak even though there are no upcoming state elections there. It is the Prime Minister’s choice,” he added.
On Sunday (April 23) Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor criticised Putrajaya’s decision to host open house programmes in opposition-ruled states.
He alleged that they were a waste of government money and amounted to little more than political propaganda for forthcoming state elections.
Mohamad, who is also the Amanah president, stated that the open house programme would be vital in developing healthy connections between the state and federal governments.
He pointed out that no state government, no matter how resourceful, could function independently without the assistance of the federal government.
“We always need cooperation between the federal and state governments, especially in the field of agriculture, where land matters come under the jurisdiction of the state governments,” he was reported as saying.
“If there is a certain someone who spouts all sorts of nonsense, we should not pay attention to them. Ultimately, it is up to the people to decide which political party should be in power through the election process.
“But we need state-federal cooperation because the responsibility for roads, airports, agriculture, and development is a shared responsibility between the federal and state governments.” – April 24, 2023
Main pic credit: Sinar Harian
