Anwar: Johor got RM16b back from Putrajaya, more than it contributed

TANGKAK, June 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Federal government has channelled a higher allocation to Johor than the revenue the state has contributed to the government over the past three years.

He said that based on the Finance Ministry’s records, Johor contributed about RM14 billion in revenue to federal coffers between 2023 and 2025.

He said the Federal government, however, has returned RM16 billion to Johor through various development projects, operating allocations and related programmes.

“How much have we given back through various projects, administration and development in total? RM16 billion for Johor,” he said at the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate announcement ceremony for the Johor state election here last night.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said this needed to be explained to provide a true picture of the Federal government’s commitment to Johor’s development.

He also provided a comparison of the operating expenditure allocations received by Johor under the previous administration and those received by the current Madani Government.

The prime minister said Johor received about RM6 billion to RM7 billion annually in operating expenditure under the previous government.

The amount, he added, increased to RM8.7 billion under the Madani Government.

Anwar said the increase clearly proved the Federal government’s commitment to ensuring the development and well-being of the people of Johor continue to be given priority.

According to data presented by Anwar for 2026, Johor is the third-largest recipient of Operating Expenditure (OE) and Development Expenditure (DE) allocations after Sabah and Sarawak.

The OE allocation to Johor increased from RM7 billion in 2022 to RM8.7 billion in 2026, while the DE allocation rose from RM2.3 billion to RM4.8 billion over the same period.

Johor was also listed as the second-largest recipient of assistance under Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) after Selangor. — Bernama