Tengku Zafrul says increase to 22 special draws was collective Cabinet decision, not his alone

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The decision to raise the number of special forecast number draws to 22 per year during the previous administration was a joint effort of the Cabinet, according to former Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. The minister, now the Prime Minister's Senior Political Adviser, clarified that special draws are not a new concept, having been introduced back in 1999, and the maximum limit of 22 draws per year was already in place during the Barisan Nasional government.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government reverted to this existing ceiling, and this information was communicated to Parliament through an official reply. Tengku Zafrul emphasized this point to Bernama, responding to claims that he had personally decided to increase the special draws. He stressed that the facts in this matter are clear and that he has no desire to prolong a debate that could divert attention from the government's national development priorities.

Tengku Zafrul underscored that the Madani Government's primary focus is addressing people's problems and ensuring that policies genuinely benefit them. The issue of special forecast number draws resurfaced following disputes about the justification for increasing the number of draws during the Covid-19 pandemic. In December 2022, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the number of special draws would be reduced from 22 to eight per year, beginning in 2023.