KUALA LUMPUR: Contrary to popular opposition rhetoric, the federal government has never neglected the states that are controlled by opposition.
Instead, the government has been increasing its federal allocation to Kelantan, Penang and Selangor annually, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
According to him, opposition had levelled countless allegations against the federal government, claiming that it had been neglecting the three states.
"Every year, the government allocates a certain amount of funds to each state in the country, including opposition-led states.
"The funding depends on number of residents, maintenance of state roads, annual allocations to local authorities and allocations due to a deficit account management, among others," Najib explained in his latest blog entry.
He said the funds earmarked to these states had steadily increased yearly. This did not even include the federal government projects to build schools, hospitals, affordable housing and other projects.
"In 2015, the total amount given to all states is RM6.74 billion. From 2011 to 2015, Kelantan received around RM1.94 billion, which included RM378.85 million for allocations due to deficits in its managing account while Penang received RM950.44 million over the same period.
He added that Selangor received RM3.63 billion during the same period, including RM25.81 million worth of special funding annually.
"It is disappointing that the opposition does not reveal the whole truth, instead, (the opposition) accuse the government of being cruel by neglecting states led by the oppositions,” said Najib.