‘OPPOSITION STATES GIVEN GOVT FUNDS, TOO’

Federal Government has never neglected opposition-ruled states, says PM

THE government has been providing financial allocations to the opposition-led states of Kelantan, Penang and Selangor and raising the quantum annually.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Federal Government had never neglected these states, as claimed by the opposition.

“Every year, the government allocates a certain amount of funds to each state in the country, including all opposition-led states.

“The funding depends on (the) number of residents, maintenance of state roads, annual allocations to local authorities and allocations due to deficit account management, among others,” he said in a posting on his Najib Razak.com blog yesterday.

He said the funding allotted for the states had also increased yearly.

“In 2015, the total amount given to all states was RM6.74 billion. From 2011 to 2015, Kelantan received around RM1.94 billion, which included RM378.85 million for allocations due to deficit in the state managing its financial account, while Penang received RM950.44 million in the same period,” he added

Najib said Selangor received RM3.63 billion during the same period, including RM25.81 million in special funding annually.

The amount, Najib said, was on top of Federal Government projects being implemented in those states to construct schools, hospitals, roads, affordable housing, public housing projects, police stations and many more.

“The government is disappointed that the opposition did not reveal the whole truth, instead, (the opposition) accused the government of being cruel by neglecting states led by the opposition.

“The opposition always raises recycled issues although the government had answered them numerous times,” he said.

Najib said the opposition should not make accusations without proof.

He said the government had always been concerned about the wellbeing of Malaysians, regardless of whether they were in oppositionor Barisan Nasional-led states.