PUTRAJAYA, Dec 30 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) supreme council member Tan Sri Rais Yatim shot down a call by fellow party leader for members to be allocated government contracts.

Speaking to reporters, the former minister said the suggestion was rhetoric before denouncing it.

"Yes, I disagree with it; it goes against a responsible and accountable government,” he said when met at the end of PPBM’s annual general meeting in Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here.  

However, he suggested that the view was limited to the person who made it.

In his winding-up speech earlier, PPBM vice-president Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman urged his party leadership to channel government contracts to its division and branch leaders.

He said this was important to ensure that the grassroots members are able to carry out politicking activities on the ground and ensure PPBM can continue ruling Putrajaya.

Abdul Rashid also said it was "stupid” to deny PPBM leaders access to government contracts.

His remarks came after PPBM Armada chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman criticised party members who still clung onto the politics of patronage that is a signature of rival Umno.

Abdul Rashid also urged the government to restore the practice of using the Federal Development Department to allocate projects and to ensure PPBM division chiefs benefit from this.