KUALA SELANGOR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called out the previous administrations for their sluggish progress on public welfare projects.
The Prime Minister said initiatives such as affordable housing for lower-income groups and the regulation of rice prices remained at a standstill despite multiple ministerial changes.
“How many ministers have changed again and again, yet the issue remains stagnant?” he said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Residensi Rakyat Programme (PRR) in Bestari Jaya here on Saturday (Feb 15).
“Sometimes, those who talk the most are the ones who were in power before and some of them became very wealthy.
“Yet, they continue to provoke and claim that nothing has been done. Yes, maybe things are not perfect, but I always ask them when you were in power, what did you do?” he added.
Anwar said the issue of padi farmers was also raised in Parliament this week, with concerns over disparities in productivity between states.
While Selangor has seen high productivity, he said many farmers in Kedah and Kelantan continue to struggle with poverty, often directing their frustrations at the government.
“But during their 33 months in power, what did they do? Not even RM1 was increased. In 2023, we raised it, in 2024, we raised it again.
“Just a few days ago, Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu increased it further, from RM1,200 to RM1,500,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the increase was achieved through negotiations, emphasising the need to leverage existing resources to address farmers' issues, irrespective of their ethnicity or geographical location, including those in Sarawak.
With effective collaboration and planning, Anwar said challenges could be resolved.
“The price of goods, housing, schools, hospitals, clinics - these are our problems. When I took office as Prime Minister, I immediately pushed for urgent road repairs.
“Everything can be done with cooperation and proper planning. What is the point of complaining after retirement, blaming everyone else?” he added.
