Anwar Advises PKR-controlled States To Be Thrifty

PETALING JAYA, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hopes that the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states will embark on an austerity drive and help reduce the people's burden from the fuel price increase.

He said the state governments concerned should coordinate their activities to reduce their administrative costs so that the allocations for development and the people's benefit would not be affected.

"We should cut down on whatever costs, like allowances and other perks to show that we are sensitive to the people's suffering," he told reporters after a PKR meeting here today.

The five Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states are Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan.

Anwar said he would leave to the wisdom of the leaders in the respective states to decide on measures to reduce the administrative costs, except on matters which involved party policies, which had to be referred to the leadership of the parties concerned.

In another development, Anwar said he was ready to contest in any by-election, having obtained approval from the Registrar of Societies to do so.

"I've received the letter from the Registrar (of Societies). My lawyers have advised that we do not need an approval letter from the AG (Attorney-General).

The letter from the Registrar of Societies is sufficient ," he added.

Anwar, who returned to active politics on April 15 following the expiry of the five-year ban imposed on him by the court following his conviction for corruption, said he was prepared to contest if any PKR Member of Parliament was willing to make way for a by-election to be held this year.

The general election regulations state that a by-election can only be called six months after a general election is held.

In the last general election, PKR won 31 parliamentary seats.

BERNAMA

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