PETALING JAYA: The cost of holding Hari Raya open houses in six states will be lower than organising a single event in Putrajaya due to a lower number of attendants and overall expenditure, says economy minister Rafizi Ramli.
Rafizi said the open houses in the six states will have an estimated attendance of 10,000 each compared to an estimated 100,000 people if an open house was organised in Putrajaya.
“The last open house in Putrajaya organised by the government, which Perikatan Nasional was a member of, was actually more expensive,” he said on
TikTok today.
He said the federal government will only bear the cost of the open houses in PAS-led Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, while the events in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan will be funded by the state governments.
As Putrajaya is only footing the bill for three of the six open houses, he said, the overall cost for the events will be lower.
Last Sunday, Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor said federal leaders should stick to the long-standing tradition of hosting a single open house event at the prime minister’s official residence, Seri Perdana, or around Putrajaya.
PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan later said the celebrations in all six states, where elections are set to be held later this year, raise questions about the government’s true motives and purposes. He said such a move was improper as it would politicise a day of celebration.
Rafizi said PN would find any means to criticise Anwar’s administration, adding that the opposition would have hit out at the government had Anwar not decided to visit the people of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.
Taking a swipe at Sanusi, he said all state governments must focus on improving the economic situation of their people rather than politicising the actions of the federal government.
“The Kedah MB also has a responsibility to improve the water supply in the state so that its people don’t have to celebrate (Aidilfitri) without water,” he said.
Last week, the Prime Minister’s Department said Seri Perdana will not host an open house event this year. Instead, the department will hold its functions in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
It also said Anwar will attend three other Aidilfitri open houses in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, organised by the state governments. - FMT
