Govt did not sideline Kelantan, provides state with highest allocation, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim denies the claim made by Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Sulaiman regarding the federal government sidelining Kelantan.

Instead, the Finance Minister said the allocation provided by the unity government to the state was higher compared to what the government under the leadership of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin provided.

"That is an opinion that doesn't follow the facts. I have already mentioned that the allocation for Kelantan is the highest, for flood mitigation, clean water assistance and state development.

"The allocation given by the unity government now is more than what Pas and Bersatu provided in the previous government.

"So what do you mean 'di anak tirikan' (sidelined)?," he said after speaking at the 36th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) Conference here, today.

Yesterday, during a debate session with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, Syahir said the main reason Kelantan remained a poor state was due to the issue of 'federalism'.

Syahir said the issue has led to the denial of certain rights of the state, including royalties, due to administrative differences between the federal government and the state government.

Anwar also advised Syahir to be more courageous in addressing internal problems faced by his party and provide improvement suggestions.

"I have received all the important suggestions for Kelantan. As a young leader, he (Syahir) should be more courageous in resolving internal party problems," Anwar said.