KUALA LUMPUR – The Cabinet welcomes all feedback and criticism on its performance and will take appropriate steps to address them, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that during the Madani Government Retreat 2025, Cabinet ministers received independent reports and assessments of their performance from academics and civil servants.
“We then allowed the ministers to share their views on their commitment and determination to improve performance.
“I am not saying everything is perfect, but the Cabinet’s performance has been commendable, as they have taken the criticism seriously and are implementing the necessary measures for improvement,” he told a press conference on the retreat here today.
He added that the retreat also discussed the need for the government to reassess its approach to mitigating the impact of inflation on the public.
Anwar said that despite statistics indicating positive performance, the government must still address ongoing issues such as rising prices of goods.
“Even though statistics show that our inflation rate is low, people are still complaining about rising prices, particularly essential goods.
“This is a challenge we are focusing on because we understand that figures on economic growth, increased investment, security, and tourism appeal will only hold real value if we can control the rising cost of living that burdens parts of our society,” he added.
Meanwhile, Anwar stressed that there has never been any condition requiring opposition MPs to support him in order to receive allocations.
“We have never imposed any such conditions,” he said.
Anwar reiterated his advice for opposition MPs to hold discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof on the allocations.
He pointed out that such discussions were not unprecedented, recalling his own negotiations with the ninth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, when Pakatan Harapan was in the opposition.
“So I think this matter should not be sensationalised, as holding discussions is nothing new. Let’s discuss it first,” he said.
When asked whether he would personally meet with opposition representatives on the issue, Anwar said it was unnecessary, as Fadillah had been given the mandate to reach a consensus.
Anwar was commenting on a statement by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, who urged the opposition to negotiate with the federal government for financial allocations for its constituencies since the matter is under the prime minister’s discretion. – February 23, 2025