PM: Nation must find middle ground between meritocracy and affirmative action

KUALA LUMPUR: A balance must be struck between policies on meritocracy and affirmative action to ensure fairness in the country's administration, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said there is currently a disconnect over the issue, where the "elite are obsessed with meritocracy" at the expense of those requiring government assistance through affirmative action. "Meritocracy...

PM: Nation must find middle ground between meritocracy and affirmative action

KUALA LUMPUR: A balance must be struck between policies on meritocracy and affirmative action to ensure fairness in the country's administration, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said there is currently a disconnect over the issue, where the "elite are obsessed with meritocracy" at the expense of those requiring government assistance through affirmative action. "Meritocracy...

Govt has never neglected M40 group, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has never neglected the middle 40% (M40) group, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the allegation by certain parties that the government’s approach was more focused on the low-income or bottom 40% (B40) group to the extent of neglecting the middle-income group is not true. "We have taken several approaches but to...

PM: Stop asking for and giving commissions on development projects

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the practice of soliciting and giving commissions in the implementation of development projects, including housing, to be stopped immediately. He said the government never prevented any company from conducting operations and earning profits, but the practice of giving commissions to any minister or political party for that...

Don’t punish those influenced by racial sentiments, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malays and youths should not be blamed for being influenced by racial and religious sentiments during the recently-concluded state polls, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar said the rise in support for right-wing ideologies is not something surprising in Malaysia, as it is a global phenomenon. He said that western countries have seen...

Govt working on slight salary raise for civil servants, says Anwar

LANGKAWI: The government is trying to slightly raise the salaries of civil servants through the second Madani Budget that will be tabled in Parliament this October, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said this is a temporary measure until a comprehensive study on the salary and retirement scheme for civil servants is completed, which...

PM Anwar asks Saudi Aramco to invest in Kemaman

MARANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has asked the world's largest oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco to invest in Kemaman, Terengganu. He said Aramco chairman Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan had informed him that the company wanted to make Johor the hub for its expansion in the Southeast Asian region. "But I said it's okay and I...

Anwar to reach out to Ramasamy over quit announcement

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will seek former Penang deputy chief minister II Dr P Ramasamy's clarification over his resignation from DAP. "Ramasamy is a friend. I will get his views (on his resignation). He understands about several problems in the party (DAP)," Anwar said when met after delivering his keynote...

‘I did in six months what you could not in three years’, Anwar tells Perikatan

KUALA TERENGGANU: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim came out swinging against his opponents last night who had been repeatedly calling him "useless" throughout the campaign for the six state elections. In a ceramah here, the Prime Minister listed the failures of Perikatan Nasional's three-year federal administration and its attempt to white wash its chequered track record by...

Anwar to meet Chinese Foreign Minister in Penang on Aug 11

BATU KAWAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Penang on Friday (Aug 11). "I have a busy schedule, and I told the Minister, but he insisted he wanted to meet me, although I told him I will not be in Putrajaya. "I will come to Kedah or Penang to meet you,...