KUALA LUMPUR: In dismissing claims that the government has ulterior motives in organising the Madani Aidilfitri open house in six states, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) today said it is an effort to reach out to the people and is not wasteful.
The prime minister said the open house was not a personal undertaking by him but was a government programme aimed at getting closer to the rakyat.
“Governments everywhere do it (open house event). It is not a waste because we give food to the people. To me, it is not wasteful.
"If it was organised in my personal capacity, including family, it would be appropriate to use money from my own pocket. But this is a government programme for the people and it is far cheaper to be held in Alor Setar, Kedah than in Putrajaya," he said.
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