PM Anwar Denies Some States Being Sidelined, Allocations Rise

MELAKA, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed claims by certain quarters that the MADANI Government is sidelining several states.

Instead, he stressed that allocations to each state differ according to priorities and have continued to increase under his administration.

"Sabah's expenditure has increased by 35 per cent in the three years since we took over the government. Before that, in the preceding years, did the state government raise the issue? No... Allocations for Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah and Kelantan have increased overall.

"Terengganu's allocation rose from RM6 billion in 2022 to RM8.1 billion this year, as did Perlis, Johor and others. Johor's allocation increased from RM10.2 billion in 2022 to RM14.6 billion in 2026," he said when delivering his Presidential Policy Speech at the 2026 PKR National Congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here today.

Anwar said the Federal allocation to Sabah had also increased by 35 per cent, from RM13 billion in 2022 to RM17.6 billion in 2026, while Sarawak's allocation rose from RM10.2 billion in 2022 to RM15.1 billion, an increase of 48 per cent.

For Kedah, the Prime Minister said the allocation increased by 27 per cent from RM7.7 billion in 2022 to RM9.8 billion this year, while Kelantan recorded a 47 per cent increase from RM6.6 billion in 2022 to RM9.7 billion in 2026. Perlis saw an increase of 35 per cent, from RM1.7 billion to RM2.3 billion this year.

For Selangor, the allocation increased by 30 per cent from RM9.4 billion in 2022 to RM12.2 billion this year, while Pahang's allocation rose by 41 per cent from RM7.5 billion in 2022 to RM10.6 billion.

The Federal allocation to Perak was RM10.4 billion this year compared with RM8.2 billion in 2022, an increase of 27 per cent, while Penang, which received RM5 billion in 2022, saw its allocation increase by 56 per cent to RM7.8 billion this year.

Negeri Sembilan's allocation rose from RM4.4 billion in 2022 to RM6 billion, an increase of 36 per cent, while Melaka recorded an increase of 38 per cent to RM5.1 billion this year from RM3.7 billion in 2022.

Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, called for improvements in the government's information and communication delivery to counter narratives being propagated by the opposition aimed at creating a negative perception of the government.

The Prime Minister also said that the MADANI Government had implemented various reforms, resulting in the country recording an improved position in the competitiveness index.

He said the country's competitiveness index had improved from 34th place in 2024 to 15th place this year, marking its best position since 2015.

The 2026 PKR National Congress was also attended by PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, DAP Treasurer Ngeh Koo Ham and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

-- BERNAMA