Derailed politicians complain more about rising costs than small traders, says PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR – Politicians who have derailed from their original path of struggle are the ones complaining the most about the rising cost of goods compared to small traders.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated that this finding was obtained through on-the-ground surveys conducted recently.

He noted that the attitude shown by these small traders indirectly sets them apart from large business owners and politicians.

"Alhamdulillah, praise be to God. Actually, at the grassroots level, complaints from small traders are very minimal.

"It is the large-scale operators who complain a lot, and those who complain the loudest are the politicians who have derailed from their path.

"But from what I observed through personal inquiries, most of them are grateful even for a RM10,000 loan and express their gratitude to these agency bodies," he told reporters after attending the Small Traders Field Survey Program at the Taman Melawati Farmers' Market here on Saturday.

Earlier, Anwar, who is also the Tambun MP, spent about two hours mingling with hawkers and small entrepreneurs at the location.

On May 17, the Madani Government announced micro-financing facilities totaling over RM5 billion for the year 2026, which is expected to benefit more than 400,000 micro-entrepreneurs.

The facility includes loans of up to RM100,000, with financing rates for certain schemes as low as 4 percent per annum.

Commenting further, Anwar acknowledged that a small number of petty traders remain unaware of the clear details regarding the assistance offered by the government.

Consequently, he has instructed the relevant agencies to go down to the ground and provide explanations to the group.