Anwar: Why angry at DAP? They supported Felda debt waiver

Anwar: Why angry at DAP? They supported Felda debt waiver


PELANGAI BY-ELECTION | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier this evening told Felda folks they should not see DAP as their enemy.

Speaking at the ‘Segalanya Felda Carnival’ at Felda Chemomoi in Bentong, Pahang, he said DAP was one of the government parties that supported him to disburse RM8.3 billion to waive the debt settlers owed to Felda.

“For the Madani government to take out RM8.3 billion (for the debt waiver scheme), I had to table the cabinet paper to bring it to effect.

“When I tabled the paper, (Deputy Prime Minister 1 Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) supported it, Deputy Prime Minister 2 Fadilah Yusof from Sarawak supported it, and Anthony Loke from DAP also supported the paper.

“He (Loke) said this money is for the Felda people who are in financial difficulties, no problem.

“So why do you want to be angry with DAP? Because they are Chinese? But it also has Malays like Rara here,” Anwar said in jest, referring to Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim


He told the crowd of about 1,000 that it is okay for people to disagree with him, Pakatan Harapan, or DAP, but urged them to base their feelings on valid reasons.

Adding further, the prime minister said DAP and all other parties that form the federal government also supported the plan to spend RM300 million to help Boustead, which is owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).


‘Many believed lies by white kopiah’

Anwar also swiped at politicians who he said misled Felda settlers to believe DAP caused Tabung Haji companies to be sold to the Chinese.

While this was untrue, he said, many believed the lies because some of those who made the allegation “came wearing white kopiah (Muslim headdress)”.

According to Anwar, he checked Tabung Haji files soon after taking over as the prime minister and finance minister and found there was no truth to the claim.

The company mentioned in the allegations, he said, was an ailing company under Tabung Haji which needed to be saved, failing which, the nation’s haj management agency would go bankrupt.

He added that the ailing company was taken over by the Finance Ministry (MOF).

“The company was transferred to a special purpose vehicle under MOF. It was not given to a company.

“But because the finance minister then was (DAP politician) Lim Guan Eng, and he is Chinese, the government then was accused of giving the Tabung Haji company to the Chinese.

“I want to ask these people, when we speak about Islam, about its values, is it allowed (in Islam) for us to lie to slander others?” the prime minister asked.

Meanwhile, on another matter, Anwar told the audience that he had nothing to do with the court case against Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

He questioned why the opposition wanted to blame him when what Sanusi did had upset the Selangor sultan and prompted the Selangor Royal Council to lodge a police report against the PAS leader.

“The report was lodged by the Selangor Royal Council, the sultan was angry, and police investigated the case before the Attorney-General’s Chambers made the decision to charge (Sanusi) in court.

“But who gets the blame? PMX,” Anwar said, referring to the nickname used to refer to him as the 10th prime minister.