KUALA LUMPUR: Political differences have never been a barrier for the Madani Government to help the people, including in opposition-administered states, says PKR vice president Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
He stated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's approach in strengthening cooperation between the Federal and state governments proves that the interests and welfare of the people override political differences.
"Our politics may differ, but the people remain Malaysians. Once elections are over, the responsibility of the government is to work and serve everyone.
"Regardless of whether a state is governed by the unity government or the Opposition, when it involves the interests of the people, the door for negotiation must always remain open," he said via a statement on Friday (Sept 11).
On Thursday (Sept 10), Anwar stated that the Federal government would continue to strengthen cooperation and unity with the Kelantan government for the sake of the interests and well-being of the people in that state.
Ramanan, who is also Human Resources Minister, said this approach is further translated through an increase in Federal allocations to state governments to ensure development can be implemented and its benefits reach the people.
He noted that Anwar had previously emphasised that the Federal government cannot pay less attention to a state simply because it has a different political administration.
He added that close cooperation between the Federal and state governments is crucial in addressing issues that directly impact the people, including water supply, flood mitigation, roads, basic amenities, job opportunities and economic development.
"The people do not want to see endless bickering between governments. The people want their problems solved. The nation's prosperity is for the people. The nation's development is for the people.
"The government must ensure that no Malaysian is left behind just because their state government's political colour is different," he said.
Ramanan said the approach taken by the Prime Minister also reflects a more mature politics – competing during elections, but cooperating when it involves national and public interests.
"This is what we need to build in Malaysia. We can have differing views and debate policies, but when it concerns the well-being of the people, we must be able to sit at the same table.
"The measure of a government is not who wins in political squabbles, but how many of the people's problems we manage to solve. In this matter, the people must always be the winners," he said. – Bernama
