OPPOSITION leader Anwar Ibrahim has submitted a motion to the Dewan Rakyat to debate the country’s financial problems including the increase in the price of goods as well as the ringgit conundrum.

The Port Dickson MP said the motion was submitted to Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun through a written notice today.

“I hope this motion receives due consideration from the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he said in a statement.

The Dewan Rakyat will convene this Monday with a focus on the 2023 Budget taking place on Friday (October 7).

Anwar submitted the motion in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat which require public interest matters to be expedited.

“This matter needs to be expedited because the sudden increase in the price of goods and the recent fall in the value of the national currency has a direct impact on the people both in the short and long term,” he said.

Three days ago, Anwar wrote a letter asking Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to present the motion in the Dewan Rakyat or give way for him to do so as the opposition leader.

However, Ismail did not respond to the letter and Anwar’s decision to file the motion.

This week the ringgit fell to its lowest level against the US dollar at RM4.60 per US$1, the worst in 24 years.

Economists expect the ringgit to head to 1998 levels.

At that time, the ringgit fell to RM4.885 forcing the administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad to peg its value at RM3.80.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz recently denied that Malaysia is in an economic crisis.

He however admitted that the economic outlook next year will be more challenging for all countries. – September 30, 2022.