KUALA LUMPUR: The government paid RM4.2 million, not RM2 billion as claimed, to prepare and print the 12th Malaysia Plan, said economic affairs minister Mustapa Mohamed.
He said the accusation by Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson) that the government paid RM2 billion to foreign consultants to prepare the plan was untrue.
Mustapa, also known as Tok Pa, told the Dewan Rakyat that the five-year plan was prepared by officers in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) with the support of other agencies.
“EPU received advice from Intan (National Institute of Public Administration) to check its consistency and make it easier to understand,” he added.
Anwar had said in the Dewan Rakyat that the allocation should have been given to experts inside the country to conduct the necessary studies, particularly those related to poverty, in preparing the document.