AZMIN Ali yesterday accused Barisan Nasional of lying over claims that the new Pakatan Harapan government has stopped building mosques because of a lack of funds.

The PKR deputy president said yesterday this was the latest example of how the opposition was playing up racial and religious sentiments in order to win the Sg Kandis by-election.

“This is an outright lie. I hear they are saying this in Sg Kandis. We have never said we are cancelling mosque projects.

“Public infrastructure projects, such as roads, utilities, mosques and suraus, will continue,” Azmin said during a ceramah in Taman Seri Andalas last night.  

“What we are reviewing are the mega-projects used to benefit Umno leaders and their tycoon friends. These include the ECRL (East Coast Rail Link) and the HSR (high-speed rail).”

Since Pakatan Harapan took over Putrajaya on May 9, the government has uncovered smaller projects built at exorbitant prices in surrounding communities.  

For instance, the previous Barisan Nasional government approved a RM200 million training camp that was being built in the middle of a rural area, said Azmin, who is also economic affairs minister.

“No one will use a RM200 million training camp in the middle of nowhere. The only ones who will use it are tigers and elephants.”

BN has been criticised for using racial and religious rhetoric in its campaign for the Sg Kandis by-election held on Saturday.

PH candidate Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni is taking on BN’s Lokman Noor Adam and independent K. Murthy for this suburban seat straddling Klang and Shah Alam.

Azmin, who was former Selangor menteri besar, said the state’s 2018 budget proved that PH never sidelined Muslims or ignored their needs.

In the 2018 state budget approved last year, the state government allocated RM400 million just to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais), Azmin said.  

The funds were for the building of mosques, suraus and tahfiz (seminaries) as well as for holding Islamic programmes. – July 31, 2018.