ALOR STAR: The Malaysia Madani Aidilfitri Open House event with the prime minister is a federal government effort to reach out to the people and state leaderships and has nothing to do with the six state elections due to be held this year, said Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
The agriculture and food security minister said organising the event at the state level can provide as much access as possible to the people from the states concerned to attend compared to holding it in Putrajaya.
“Not everyone can attend this open house if it is held at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya.
“Hence, the choice made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was to reach out to and celebrate with as many people as possible.
“In fact, many national-level events are also planned to be held outside of Putrajaya to achieve the desire of strengthening cooperation (with all states),” he told reporters at the Kedah-level Agriculture and Food Security Ministry’s Aidilfitri celebration here last night.
He was responding to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s criticism of the event, which he regarded as a state election campaign programme and should not be held.
Sanusi said the programme also involves high costs, which is against the federal government’s stance of implementing cost-saving measures, and stressed that it should stick with the usual practice of holding the Aidilfitri open house in Putrajaya.
Mohamad, who is also Amanah president, said the federal government is committed to spending prudently so that there is no issue of wastage in organising the event.
The Malaysia Madani Aidilfitri Open House event with the prime minister will begin in Kedah on April 29, followed by Penang (May 6), Negri Sembilan (May 7), Kelantan (May 12), Terengganu (May 13) and Selangor (May 14). – Bernama