BN was corrupt, but Perikatan no angel either: Anwar
Perikatan Nasional (PN) should not be quick to point a finger at Barisan Nasional (BN) regarding corrupt practices as the former was involved in its fair share of power abuse, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH).
(The Vibes) – Anwar pointed out that while the nation had indeed incurred monumental debts during BN’s time in federal power, the PN administration is not innocent of misdeeds.
“There is truth in the statement that during BN’s rule, there were leakages of public funds (through) cases involving 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
“However, there was also a lot of damage (inflicted upon the nation) during PN’s time,” he said in response to a query by Datuk Radzi Jidin (Putrajaya-PN) on whether the prime minister would agree that the nation’s current debts can be attributed to financial scandals during BN’s time in Putrajaya.
Anwar added that such instances of power misuse are currently being investigated by authorities such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), noting that it is also up to the attorney-general whether or not to press charges on wrongdoers.
“If you (Radzi) are patient, there might be some good news for the people in the near future,” Anwar quipped to rounds of cheers from government MPs.
Anwar was speaking during the Prime Minister’s Question Time, a new session introduced by his administration which will be held every Tuesday while Parliament is in session, during which he will answer three questions from ministers.
Earlier on, Anwar had stated that the government’s debts and liabilities have exceeded RM1.5 trillion or 8.2% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), with 1MDB-related dues amounting to RM18.2 billion.
“A public expenditure review will be conducted to assess the usage of public funds. (This will be done) without burdening the people, especially in education, health and basic infrastructure sectors,” he said.
