CHUAH: Permatang Pauh, Port Dickson and Tambun have a special place in my heart, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic).
Speaking at a ceramah here on Tuesday (Aug 8) night, Anwar said these were the three parliamentary constituencies he represented as an MP.
"Which three constituencies are special to me? Of course, it's firstly Permatang Pauh, Port Dickson, and now Tambun, as I currently look after that area," he said.
"Port Dickson, too, was my first test when I could contest for an MP position. I will never forget Port Dickson," he added.
Anwar also said his decision to contest in Tambun was not because he was running away from Port Dickson.
"I wanted to test Tambun, which is then the 'enemy's' territory.
"As for Port Dickson, I saw we were strong and had a strong candidate in Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, who was the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar, so I left it to him.
"I have also told Aminuddin, do what you can here under the state government and for things that involve the Federal Government, I am the one responsible," he said.
Anwar added that his tenure as Port Dickson MP also saw the allocations used to repair school toilets.
"When I went to schools in Chuah, Bagan Pinang and other schools, I saw toilets that needed repair.
"I started this as an MP and Opposition leader. As Prime Minister, I want to ensure all toilets nationwide are repaired," he said.
Anwar said it was embarrassing for him as Prime Minister to talk about investments and other developments when school toilets were dilapidated.
"We have to correct this," he added.
The Pakatan Harapan chairman added that his current approach as Prime Minister was to ensure all types of schools received equal treatment.
"This includes Malay, Arab, Chinese or Tamil schools.
"If there is a Chinese, Tamil or Malay school in Chuah that needs repairs, we will do it," he said.
"Yes, the majority will be Malay schools, but our approach is to help all.
"The same goes for helping the poor where we help all," he added.
Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim shed light on the rationale behind the ongoing cooperation between his party and Barisan Nasional, which includes Umno.
"People ask why the cooperation with Barisan Nasional, with Umno? Do you know that Thailand has been able to have no government until today?
"Thailand has been holding its elections for many months without a government because there is no party that has a majority, and it is not easy to find consensus between the parties," he added.
Anwar said it is not easy to form a government, but we think about our country's problems.
"We think about the problem of cohesion. The notion of a united front, where various segments of society come together, emerges as a formidable solution to the challenges that have long persisted.
"With the combination of us – the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabah, Sarawak – we become a strong unity government," he added.
