Differing views among ministries don’t mean govt is split, says Anwar

Differing views or approaches by ministries are not necessarily an indication of schisms within the government, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says.

Rather, they are part and parcel of discussions that take into account the respective responsibilities and priorities of the ministries to ensure that government agendas are effectively implemented, he said.

“To ensure effective governance, every policy and decision must be discussed and coordinated.

“Matters that require a collective decision will be tabled for Cabinet consideration and approval, in line with the principle of collective responsibility,” Anwar said in a written parliamentary reply.

He was responding to Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut), who asked why the finance ministry and rural and regional development ministry gave conflicting answers on certain issues.

The finance ministry, headed by Anwar, and the rural and regional development ministry were recently involved in a spat over funds linked to the latter.

Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the rural and regional development minister, had voiced frustration over delayed payments to contractors carrying out ministry projects, saying some were forced to shut down because of cash flow issues.

Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican later said that contractors handling rural development projects faced delayed payments because most of the ministry’s allocation for rural roads this year had already been spent.

Zahid, however, denied that his ministry had spent beyond its means.

Earlier this week, he told the Dewan Rakyat that projects in Sabah and Sarawak were cancelled on the orders of the ministry’s secretary-general, despite funds being set aside for them.

However, Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud dismissed these as “unfounded” claims, saying that the projects were merely put on hold.