PM: Poor governance burdens ordinary M’sians the most
SERDANG: Poor governance and leakages involving government agencies ultimately hurt ordinary Malaysians, particularly farmers and settlers, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said governance and anti-corruption were not abstract issues, pointing to the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and delays in fertiliser distribution to padi farmers as examples of how mismanagement could affect the people.
“Felda is one of the institutions we are proud of. If it is managed well, the returns go to the settlers. If it is poorly managed, the settlers are the ones who bear the consequences and hardship,” he said when closing the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (Maha) 2026 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here yesterday.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the Finance Ministry had to provide RM980mil annually for Felda to service debts arising from past losses.
“Why? Because of weak management and the practice of taking what belongs to the people by those entrusted with responsibility,” he said.
The government also allocated RM450mil to repair Felda settlers’ homes, he said, stressing that better management would help reduce the burden on public finances.
“If there is good management, we would not need to think about introducing new taxes,” he said, urging all parties to safeguard public and national funds.
Anwar said investigations into governance issues involving agencies such as Felda and Lembaga Tabung Haji should not be viewed as political vengeance.
He stressed that it was his responsibility to ensure governance followed the law and to curb corruption and abuse.
“Don’t politicise this. I am not the one conducting the investigations. That is the responsibility of the enforcement agencies,” he said, adding that prosecutions were decided by the Attorney General while courts determined sentences.
Anwar also raised concerns over delays in fertiliser distribution to padi farmers in Kedah, questioning whether the company entrusted with the supply had fulfilled its responsibilities.
“Don’t let farmers and padi growers be victims,” he said, adding that he had instructed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the matter.
On another issue, Anwar said the allocation for the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry was likely to be increased in Budget 2027 in recognition of its performance.
He said the additional funding would directly benefit farmers, padi growers, smallholders and fishermen, with new initiatives and agricultural programmes expected to remain a focus.
“I think what was urged by (Minister) Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu will be taken into consideration when formulating the budget this October,” he said.
However, he stressed that any increase in allocation must be accompanied by strict, prudent and integrity-driven governance to prevent leakages and misuse of public funds.
Anwar also said the agriculture sector faced growing challenges from the global climate crisis, making international cooperation and Malaysia’s energy transition increasingly important to food security.
Sharing details of his recent discussion with former United States vice-president Al Gore, Anwar said they discussed the climate crisis, Malaysia’s energy transition and the haze situation in Serian, Sarawak.
He said worsening climate conditions, including melting glaciers in the Himalayas and resulting floods, demonstrated how developments elsewhere could threaten communities and food security.
“These are things that we cannot predict. However, for things that we can plan for properly, we must do so. That is why we are carrying out our energy transition. We are reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and coal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Maha 2026 had recorded its highest attendance in history, attracting more than 4.3 million visitors and generating RM66.88mil in sales.
