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KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is seeking a retraction from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for claiming that the former prime minister had failed to waive RM8.3 billion in Felda settlers’ debts while he was in power.
Muhyiddin, who has said that he as prime minister had overseen the waiver of the debts while his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government was in power, has sent a letter of demand to Anwar over the issue.
He also demanded a public apology from Anwar within 24 hours of receiving the letter.
Media reported that the letter of demand, dated July 18, said that Muhyiddin’s lawyers would initiate legal action against Anwar for making malicious and slanderous accusations against the PN chairman.
Such allegations, they said, have insinuated that Muhyiddin is a liar who failed to fulfil his responsibilities as prime minister then.
On July 7, Anwar was reported as saying at a Felda settlers’ day event in Serdang that plans by Muhyiddin's government to restructure and write off settlers’ debts were never implemented, and that it is the unity government that had now written off the debt.
Muhyiddin rebutted by citing a parliamentary reply that the waiver had been carried out in 2021.
To this, Anwar said that no allocation of funds were made in the 2021 and 2022 federal budgets to implement the RM8.3 billion waiver.
The government will now allocate RM1 billion annually to issue sukuk bonds to revitalise Felda, including to write off the settlers’ debts.
Muhyiddin’s letter of demand was sent to Anwar through the law firm Rosli Dahlan Saravanan Partnership. – The Vibes, July 19, 2023