Tengku Zafrul says increase to 22 special draws was collective Cabinet decision, not his alone

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The decision to increase the number of special forecast number draws to 22 times a year during the previous administration was a collective responsibility of the Cabinet, including ministers from PAS at the time, said former Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Tengku Zafrul, who is now the Senior Political Adviser to the Prime Minister, said special draws are not new as they were introduced back in 1999, and the ceiling limit of 22 draws a year already existed during the Barisan Nasional administration before he was appointed as Finance Minister.

“During the pandemic (Covid-19), the government at that time returned to that existing ceiling (22 times), and this matter was also informed to Parliament through an official reply.

“Importantly, under today’s Madani Government, the special draws have been reduced to just eight times a year,” he told Bernama today.

Tengku Zafrul said this in response to certain parties pinning the responsibility for the decision to increase the special draws on him personally.

Tengku Zafrul added that the facts regarding the issue are clear and he has no intention of prolonging a polemic that could distract the government from its national development agenda.

“The focus of the Madani Government is to solve the people’s problems and ensure that every policy genuinely benefits them,” he said.

The issue of special forecast number draws was raised again following claims and disputes regarding the justification for increasing the number of draws during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After taking over the administration in December 2022, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the number of special draws would be reduced back from 22 times to eight times a year starting in 2023. — Bernama