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

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pledged to recover billions of ringgit that have been lost or misused and return the funds to Malaysian citizens. He contended that the government cannot justify allowing vast sums of public money to vanish while ordinary people receive comparatively small amounts of assistance.

Sinar Harian reported that Anwar emphasized the government's duty to address the loss or misuse of public funds, though any action must be grounded in thorough investigations and concrete evidence.

"I want to stop that, take the money back and give it back to the people. That’s all. And for that, I get cursed in all sorts of ways," Anwar stated, remarking on the criticism he has faced. His remarks were made during the Skim Usahawan Bangkit (SUB) Madani Permatang Pauh programme at Dewan Yayasan Aman Penanti in Bukit Mertajam. Anwar acknowledged that challenging leakages could provoke criticism, but stressed that the government must uphold good governance and ensure public money ultimately serves the people.

Citing the case of Lembaga Tabung Haji and RM12 billion in missing funds, Anwar called for investigations to determine how the funds disappeared, who was responsible, and if any action should be taken. He stressed that accountability should be determined by courts, not the executive branch. "If he is not guilty, let him go. If he is guilty, go to Sungai Buloh, go to Kajang, wherever it may be. That is how we govern," he asserted.

The Prime Minister also highlighted efforts to ensure allocations and assistance reach their intended recipients rather than being siphoned off. He noted that while the government now allocates RM800 to RM4,000 per recipient, significant sums remain unaccounted for. "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," Anwar concluded.