He said he has so far received positive cooperation from all state governments, including the Perikatan Nasional-led states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

“In discussions with all menteris besar, including those from the opposition, I emphasised that government affairs should be handled collaboratively.

“What is needed (by the states), we will implement and set aside our political differences. So far, I’ve not encountered major conflicts on this front,” he said at a town hall meeting as part of the unity government’s second anniversary programme at KLCC today.

Acknowledging occasional differences of opinion between the opposition-led states and the federal government, Anwar pointed out that development allocations for these states far exceed the royalties collected by Putrajaya.

However, he said, this reality often does not reach the grassroots because it gets politicised.

“There’s occasional debate about royalty payments, but I’ve presented the figures.

“For Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, the allocations they receive are significantly higher than in previous years. Combined, these allocations surpass the total royalties collected,” he said.

Anwar said the federal government takes the issues of poverty, education, health and basic infrastructure in all states seriously, and will approve immediate allocations if it concerns public interest.

“For me, this is our duty. Federal-state cooperation is clearly established. If states approach us positively, it makes things easier. If they adopt a hostile stance, it complicates matters,” he said.