Anwar vows to claw back billions lost to leakages and return money to Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim vowed to recover billions of ringgit lost due to leakages and misuse, and return the funds to Malaysians. Anwar argued that the government couldn't justify allowing vast sums of public money to disappear while ordinary citizens received modest assistance. Speaking at the Skim Usahawan Bangkit (SUB) Madani Permatang Pauh programme, Anwar stressed the government's duty to act against the loss or misuse of public funds.

Any action must be based on investigations and evidence, he said. "I want to stop that, take the money back and give it back to the people," he stated. Anwar cited the RM12 billion missing from Lembaga Tabung Haji as an example that should be investigated to determine what happened and who was responsible. He reiterated that guilt or innocence should be determined by the courts, not by the executive.

"If he is not guilty, let him go. If he is guilty, go to Sungai Buloh, go to Kajang, wherever it may be," he added. Anwar emphasized that the government would seek to ensure allocations and assistance reached their intended recipients. "In the past, sometimes those at the top took a lot. If it was rightfully theirs, that would be fine.

How much are we giving now? RM800, up to a maximum of RM4,000. But what went missing was tens of billions," he noted. Anwar vowed that criticism would not deter him from pursuing the issue. "I say, curse me as much as you want. I don’t even take a salary. I want to show that not every elected representative, not every minister, not every leader goes to work just to take other people’s money," he concluded.