Najib mocks Dr Mahathir’s claim Pakatan Harapan govt ‘did very well’

(FMT) – Najib Razak has poured cold water on Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s assessment of the Pakatan Harapan government, after his successor listed some of PH’s “achievements” during its 22 months in power, including the country’s economic performance.

Najib said that when PH governed the country, Malaysia’s debt rose to 54.4% and the country recorded a higher deficit in two consecutive years compared to when Barisan Nasional was in power.

He said the gross domestic product growth in 2019 was the lowest in a decade, and foreign direct investment was the lowest among Asean countries.

He added that Malaysia’s stock market was also at its nadir, while ties with other countries were strained.

Najib pointed out that Khazanah Nasional’s net assets dropped to RM73 billion from RM116 billion after PH sold some of its assets in bulk, while exports recorded a negative growth even before the Covid-19 crisis began.

“So how did Tun M succeed in handling the financial crisis?” he asked in a Facebook post.

Mahathir had claimed that he had solid backing from his administration, saying that while the opposition condemned PH as “non-Malay”, the government was “doing very well”.

“I was able to handle the financial crisis … debts,” he told FMT in an exclusive interview.

“I was able to get rid of politicians who were heading companies and institutions, and I was able to get top civil servants involved in corruption to leave the government.”

Najib said Malaysia did not endure any economic crisis before Mahathir’s second stint as the prime minister.

He noted that under BN, the economy grew 5.9%, exports increased by 18.9% and the government’s deficit and debt dipped by 2.9% and 48.7%, respectively.

“Only after Tun M became the 7th prime minister did the economy worsen,” he said.