Guan Eng says two-year push for non-Bumi funding has failed to sway Anwar, but will keep pressing

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng has reported that his persistent pleas to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the past two years for additional funding for non-Bumiputera communities have not yielded results. Lim met with Anwar personally in meetings and during parliamentary speeches, but his requests have gone unfulfilled.

"I admit that I have made these suggestions for the past 2 years to the Prime Minister personally in meetings with him and in my speeches in Parliament without success," Lim stated in a recent declaration. Nevertheless, Lim remains steadfast in his commitment to advocate for economic and social equity for all Malaysian communities.

He proposed that annual funding for non-Bumiputeras should be equivalent to 10 percent of the allocations designated for Bumiputeras, without diminishing the latter's funding. Despite this disappointment, Lim noted that Anwar has embraced ten other economic proposals following his repeated appeals and those of senior DAP leaders.

These proposals encompass raising the e-invoicing exemption limit to RM3 million in annual revenue, expanding individual income tax relief to RM12,000 from 2027, and reinstating the Budi95 fuel subsidy quota to 300 liters per month. Lim expressed that Anwar demonstrates a willingness to listen and be persuaded. However, he emphasized the need for further reforms to aid the 1.2 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grappling with loan acquisition, escalating compliance expenses, and competition from foreign entities.

"Together with top DAP leaders, I will revisit these people-centric matters in Parliament and during encounters with the Prime Minister," Lim declared.