2 more years needed for PH's policies to bear fruit: Mahathir

Malaysian PM responds to critics who say govt is 'directionless', has not fulfilled pledges

Dr Mahathir PHOTO: REUTERS

Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad yesterday defended his 20-month-old government, saying it is wrong to say that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration is "directionless".

In a blog posting, he wrote a lengthy explanation on his leadership of South-east Asia's third biggest economy, asking: "Are we really the same as the Malaysia under the previous government? Or are they saying they prefer the kleptocratic government better. We don't steal money nor raise loans so as to have money for bribing people. We spend what we have."

He said it might take two more years for the government's policies to bear fruit.

"We are clear as to what we want to do and how we will do it. Plans may take a week or so to create, but implementation will take much longer, at least two years or more.

"But the work has already begun," said Tun Dr Mahathir, who yesterday took up the post of Acting Education Minister. The previous education minister Maszlee Malik stepped down last week.

Dr Mahathir's explanation comes amid complaints from the public and opposition parties that the four-party PH coalition has failed to fulfil most of its election promises and reduce the rising cost of living.

PH last year lost four by-elections to Umno-led Barisan Nasional and won only one, in the Chinese-majority seat of Sandakan in Sabah state.

The 94-year-old Premier said that people who accuse the government of being directionless are just refusing to acknowledge reality.

His predecessor Najib Razak is facing multiple charges in Malaysia's courts for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering linked to state fund 1MDB.

Dr Mahathir said: "When a new party takes over as a government, it would be a miracle if it were to execute all its plans and promises overnight. Certainly, when PH took over from BN which had ruled the country for the past 60 years, it would be an even greater miracle if it can implement its plans and agenda immediately.

"It is not taking over just any government. It took over from a kleptocratic government which had raped the nation for years, destroyed its finances, undermined its administrative agencies, abused its laws, borrowed well beyond the ceiling permitted, placed the country on the path to bankruptcy, made the people dependent on the government with bribes..."

Dr Mahathir pointed out the PH government, which won power in 2018, has been able to retain the solvency of the country despite a huge debt and maintain high Bank Negara reserves as well as foreign assets.

"Many would say, this government is directionless. Is it? Let's look at what it has done. Despite a huge debt of well over a trillion ringgit, it apparently has been able to retain the solvency of the country.

"The creditors are not suing the government. Indeed, some are even keen to lend more money at low rates. The government is clearly creditworthy. The debt has been reduced," the Premier said.

He noted that it also took time for Malaysia to transform from an agro-based economy in the 1980s - he first became prime minister in 1981 - to an industrial economy, but that most Malaysians are too young to remember this.

"Politically the country is stable. Yes, there are some disturbances in a member of the ruling coalition. But this is normal. No one has tried to overthrow the government by a vote of non-confidence. They know it will not succeed."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 11, 2020, with the headline 2 more years needed for PH's policies to bear fruit: Mahathir. Subscribe