LANGKAWI • Malaysian Cabinet ministers appointed by the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) government have barely made the grade, notching scores of only 40 per cent to 50 per cent in the books of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

In a televised interview with Astro Awani TV station on Sunday, Tun Dr Mahathir spontaneously assigned the mark when asked to rate the performance of his Cabinet members, who are just about five months into their jobs.

He conceded that it was no easy task to change the perception and mentality of certain Cabinet ministers, especially those without prior experience in government leadership positions. Several of these PH lawmakers who became Cabinet ministers are first-time MPs.

He said it was difficult to shift their views as Malaysian opposition leaders even though they are in government now.

Still, Dr Mahathir acknowledged that most of them are coping and are quick learners, and are trying to improve their performance.

In a report carried by the TV station's website, Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying that some are new and inexperienced, "but they are learning quickly".

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK