PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement that the Perikatan Nasional government had spent RM500mil for publicity purposes contradicts his own Cabinet minister, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The former prime minister said that Anwar’s Madani government had spent more than the Perikatan Nasional government even though it had only been in Putrajaya for less than a year.
He said this in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Nov 8), refuting Anwar’s statements in the Dewan Rakyat that Muhyiddin’s government had spent RM500mil for advertisements and publicity while the Pagoh MP was premier.
“Anwar had claimed that the Perikatan government under my leadership had spent RM500mil for advertisement and publicity contracts.
“His own Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, had told the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 14 that the Perikatan government had only spent RM181,752.20 for branding purposes.
“However, the Madani government under Anwar’s premiership, which is not even a year old, has spent RM489,216.
“The written answer also said that the Keluarga Malaysia government under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri had spent RM62mil for the same purposes.
“Armizan had also explained that only one programme was held under the Perikatan government as the country was under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“On May 25, Armizan informed the Dewan Rakyat that the Madani government’s expenses for advertisements and publicity totalled RM7.4mil,” Muhyiddin said.
He further pointed out that he was prime minister during the pandemic.
“The 'publicity purposes' were for billboards, radio and television advertisements to be used as public service announcements on the dangers of Covid-19, the economic stimulus packages and assistance packages for the people.
“Although Anwar had promised on April 29 not to waste the country’s funds on big billboards, today, we see giant Madani billboards everywhere,” said Muhyiddin.
