BATU PAHAT: The people should not take the upcoming state elections lightly and vote wisely for a party that can manage the economy and take care of their welfare, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said that if it was up to him, now was not the time to have an election including GE16 (the 16th General Election).
"Presently we have to work to manage the rising cost of living while the Strait of Hormuz has yet to be reopened and the war has not stopped.
"Why can't we wait for a few more months before all these stabilises before calling for elections," he said, during the launch of the Pakatan Harapan election machinery here Saturday (June 6)
On the issue of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), Anwar reiterated that he was the one to give the nod saying that any recognition would remain subject to national requirements, including a pass in Bahasa Melayu and History.
“It only involves 1,500 students entering local universities compared to 100,000 students annually,” he added.
Anwar said in the past, matriculation also involved 100% bumiputra students but now it has been opened up 10% to non-Malays.
“I did not pawn Malay rights. In fact, we have enhanced it including enhancing Islamic education,” he added.
He noted that the education landscape had changed significantly over the decades, with many students from Chinese schools achieving strong proficiency in the national language.
He added that discussions on the matter should be approached rationally rather than being exploited for political purposes.
Anwar also hit out at the Johor government’s cash aid programme, which required people, including senior citizens to queue up in long lines.
“This is not the 1970s where you give rice to gain support. Now we give our aid directly into their accounts and people do not have to queue up for it," he said.
On another note, Anwar also announced that PETRONAS has been awarded a major oil and gas project in Turkmenistan, which is known to have the world’s biggest gas reserve.
Anwar also reitirated that he may have flaws but he and his government had never been involved in taking kickbacks or commissions for any projects.
