SHAH ALAM, April 29 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) should focus on the economy and public welfare instead of bickering with royalty, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said today.
“Sometimes, the government is distracted by various issues which in reality bring no benefit,” the Rembau MP told reporters following a Bicara Minda session with Karangkraf.
He said one example of this is the dispute with the royal institution, which Khairy said will not bring about any positive impact.
“That will not help the rakyat’s economy. So I think Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s advice is good.
“Right now, there is much focus on issues that can either be resolved later on, or need not be made a big deal to begin with. It is as though the rakyat’s prosperity has been forgotten about,” he said.
Khairy was referring to the PKR president’s admonition on Saturday to Perak DAP committee member Nga Hock Cheh, who had proposed in the Dewan Negara recently to drop one’s religious status on the identity card. A Muslim’s faith is printed as Islam on the MyKad, but non-Muslims’ religious status is not stated on the physical document.
Anwar said the issue brought up by Nga was not a priority as there were other more pressing issues at hand that should be prioritised, such as those related to the country’s economic problems.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has recently been embroiled in a public disagreement with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail, first over the issue of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and subsequently the resignation of former Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian.
