PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says the government is “dumb” for setting up a Cabinet committee on prices half a year after the public has been struggling with rising costs.
Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said the committee should have been formed earlier so as to curb the price increases before they started.
“The price of goods was rising six months before the fasting month (Ramadan in April). We are now approaching Hari Raya Aidiladha. They only formed the Cabinet committee this week. What kind of a government is this?” he said.
Recalling his days as a minister in the 1990s, he said a Cabinet committee would be formed a month or two before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“Now, only after the price of chicken has jumped to RM13 or RM14 per kg, do they form a Cabinet committee. It does not help the people at all,” he said and accused the government of not caring.
The government announced this week that a special committee had been formed to wage “jihad” on inflation. The committee is chaired by communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa.
At the ceramah, which was also attended by Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari and other PH leaders, Anwar said he was sure that PH will remain in power in Selangor after the next general election.
“I am confident that we can defend Selangor in style at the next general election,” he said, while attacking critics who claimed the state government was not an Islamic one because of the coalition’s ties with DAP.
“This is just stupid politics,” he said. “They talk about race and religion, but they make the people suffer.”
