Action Urged Against Anwar Over Rm10b Diesel Subsidy Leak Confusion

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PARLIAMENT | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of making “confusing” statements in the Dewan Rakyat on the purported RM10 billion leakage in the implementation of diesel subsidies.
Rosol Wahid (Perikatan Nasional-Hulu Terengganu) said the figure given by the finance minister contradicted numbers from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
“This is over the tabling of Budget 2023 on Feb 24 which contained his (Anwar’s) statement confusing the house and can be described as insulting the proceedings.
“During the tabling, the finance minister said that there were leakages in diesel subsidies amounting to RM10 billion a year.
“However, according to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, for the period 2018-2022, the subsidy was worth only RM18.7 million,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Rosol also questioned the figure, saying that Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub is only now setting up a task force to ascertain the RM10 billion amount.
“The domestic trade minister said he is only now collecting data. So this shows that there is a contradiction between the data submitted by Tambun (Anwar) with what has been explained in this house by the minister,” he said.
He also pointed to another report on March 9, where Salahuddin said five ministries, including his own, will meet over the next few weeks to look into the diesel subsidy leakages.
Rosol said he has written to Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul to refer Anwar to the rights and privileges committee over this matter.
“Yesterday, I sent a letter to the speaker about referring Tambun (Anwar) to the rights and privileges committee in line with (Standing Orders) 36 (12) on confusing the house.”
Deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker Ramli Mohd NorDeputy Dewan Rakyat speaker Ramli Mohd Nor, who was chairing the sitting, said any decisions made by himself and his fellow deputy speaker Alice Lau would have to be in line with Johari’s ruling.
As such, he advised Rosol to bring up the matter when Johari is chairing the sitting. - Mkini

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