PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim is hosting a Hari Raya open house in six states for him and cabinet to get the know the people better, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said.

Mohamad added the events would also provide an opportunity for people who do not live in the Klang Valley to attend the events.

“Not everyone is blessed with the resources or time to travel to the national open house in Putrajaya or Kuala Lumpur.

“By hosting the open house in different states, such as Kedah and Terengganu, we are providing an opportunity for locals to attend and interact with the prime minister.

“This will allow him to meet as many people as possible. If we were to hold the open house in Kuala Lumpur, people may question why we didn’t choose a state with a larger population of B40 groups,” he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times today.

Mohamad, who is agriculture and food security minister, said this after attending the Amanah Raya open house in Kuala Kedah yesterday.

The federal government’s open houses will begin in Kedah on April 29 before moving to five other states, namely Penang, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Selangor.

Critics have panned the federal government for holding the open houses in these states, calling it a political ploy as these states are due to hold elections later this year.

Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are helmed by Perikatan Nasional while the remaining three are under Pakatan Harapan rule.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the events were a waste of government funds and amounted to political campaigning ahead of the state elections.

But Mohamad said the locations for the tour were not influenced by the state elections.

“It’s solely the prime minister’s prerogative. He can choose wherever he wants to hold an open house.

“He can even have the celebrations in Sabah or Sarawak.

“For example, this year, we plan to celebrating Merdeka in Sarawak even though there are no state elections there. It is the prime minister’s choice,” he added.

Mohamad added that the open house programme would also play a crucial role in fostering healthy relationships between the state and federal governments.

“We always need cooperation between the federal and state governments, especially in the field of agriculture, where land matters come under the jurisdiction of the state governments.

“If there is a certain someone who spouts all sorts of nonsense, we should not pay attention to them. Ultimately, it is up to the people to decide which political party should be in power through the election process.

“But we need (state-federal) cooperation because the responsibility for roads, airports, agriculture, and development is a shared responsibility between the federal and state governments,” he added. – April 24, 2023.