‘He applied, I approved': Anwar says of RM486,000 Japan trip bill for Dr Mahathir
Anwar said the government allocated approximately RM486,000 for the visit after receiving a formal application from Tun Dr Mahathir.
'There are existing provisions for former prime ministers to apply (for government support for official travel)...and if the sitting prime minister approves, the government will bear the cost, including for Tun Mahathir, who recently requested to attend the Nikkei conference in Japan. He applied, and I approved. I believe the delegation was around seven people.
'I have people asking me why pay for him. He is entitled to apply, but the decision rests with the sitting prime minister...and I decided to approve that RM486,000 for him to go to Japan.
'I just don't want anyone to misunderstand...I just don't want to take a negative attitude. Despite his daily criticisms of the government, we still approved his (travel) application,' Anwar told reporters here yesterday.
On May 30, Tun Dr Mahathir was reported to have attended and delivered a speech at the annual Nikkei Future of Asia conference, a platform he has regularly attended over the years.
On separate development, Anwar said he is giving time to two Cabinet ministers who recently submitted resignation letters, encouraging them to reconsider their decisions.
The Prime Minister said he received the letters from the two ministers applying for leave and resignation, but he had only approved the leave for now.
'...Let them think about it. Personally, I would prefer that they rejoin the Cabinet,' he said.
The ministers in question – Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad – reportedly submitted their resignations following defeats in recent party elections.
The Prime Minister was met after attending an organisational empowerment seminar and a closed-door meeting with PKR leaders here today.
Also present were two PKR vice-presidents Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, secretary-general Senator Fuziah Salleh, Wanita chief Fadhlina Sidek, Youth chief Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim and Hang Tuah Jaya division chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.
During the seminar, Anwar called on PKR members to heal internal rifts and put aside dissatisfaction following the party polls last month.He also stressed the need for unity and maturity for the party's greater mission.
'Imagine this – I can work with Umno, even hugging it out. Surely we can move past our internal disagreements too. Let's move on for the bigger agenda,' he added. — Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
3 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Backbenchers Club: PM's 'extraordinary tribute' shows Madani govt's commitment to people
KUALA LUMPUR: The "extraordinary tribute" to Malaysians announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reflects the unwavering commitment of the Madani government to prioritising the welfare of the people, said the Backbenchers Club (BBC). Its chairman, Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah, said the initiatives unveiled would bring tangible benefits to Malaysians by helping to reduce the burden of living costs while simultaneously driving the nation's economic growth towards greater sustainability. "This also demonstrates the government's sensitivity to the current realities faced by the people," he said at a press conference held at the Parliament building today. Among the key initiatives announced by the Prime Minister today were a one-off RM100 cash aid for all adult citizens via their MyKad under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme, which will be implemented for the first time; maintaining current toll rates; expanding Jualan Rahmah Madani; and RON95 petrol price to be lowered to RM1.99 per litre. "These proactive and swift steps prove that the government consistently listens to the people's concerns and works to find comprehensive solutions for shared well-being," Shahar said. He said the efforts are in line with the Madani Economic Framework, which aims to raise both the ceiling and floor of economic standards, as well as the government's hard work in attracting investment which is now translating into real benefits for the people. "As such, we call on all Malaysians to continue giving strong support to the Madani government to ensure Malaysia continues to progress and prosper," he said. Earlier today, Anwar also announced that Monday, Sept 15 this year, will be declared an additional public holiday in conjunction with the 2025 Malaysia Day celebration. The move, Anwar said, is aimed at recognising the spirit of unity and the significance of Malaysia's formation as a nation.


New Straits Times
3 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Backbenchers Club: Govt's latest initiatives will ease living costs, drive sustainable growth
KUALA LUMPUR: The "extraordinary tribute" to Malaysians announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reflects the Madani government's commitment to prioritising the welfare of the people, the Backbenchers Club (BBC) said. Its chairman, Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah, said the initiatives would bring tangible benefits to Malaysians by reducing the burden of living costs, while simultaneously driving the nation's economic growth towards greater sustainability. "This demonstrates the government's sensitivity to the current realities faced by the people," he said at a press conference at the Parliament building today. Among the initiatives announced were a one-off RM100 cash aid for all adult citizens through the MyKad under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme, maintaining toll rates, expanding Jualan Rahmah Madani and lowering the RON95 petrol price to RM1.99 per litre. "These proactive and swift steps prove that the government consistently listens to the people's concerns and works to find comprehensive solutions for shared well-being," Shahar said. He said the initiatives were in line with the Madani Economic Framework, which aims to raise both the ceiling and floor of economic standards, as well as the government's hard work in attracting investment, which is now translating into real benefits for the people. "We call on all Malaysians to continue giving strong support to the Madani government to ensure Malaysia continues to progress and prosper." Earlier today, Anwar announced that Sept 15 would be an additional public holiday for Malaysia Day (Sept 16).


New Straits Times
3 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
PM extends condolences over deadly jet crash in Bangladesh
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has extended his heartfelt condolences to the people of Bangladesh following a tragic jet fighter crash at a college and school campus in Dhaka that claimed at least 27 lives, most of them children. "My heart breaks for the people of Bangladesh after learning of the jet fighter crash into a school in Dhaka. Many lives were lost, most of them children. Over a hundred others were injured," Anwar said in a Facebook post today. He paid tribute to one of the victims, teacher Maherin Chowdhury, who died after rescuing her students. "She rushed her students to safety and valiantly went back into the smoke and flames to save more. Her immense courage will not be forgotten," Anwar added. He also said he would write to Bangladesh de-facto prime minister and Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus to convey Malaysia's solidarity. "In this hour of grief, we stand with you. We mourn every life lost and every family devastated," he wrote. Earlier today, the military said that the F-7 BGI aircraft had crashed soon after it took off at 1.06pm on Monday from the airbase in Kurmitola on a routine training mission. It attributed the crash to mechanical failure. The government then announced a day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and special prayers at all places of worship.