Malaysia to Recover in Three Years from Administrative and Financial Problems

The country will recover from its administrative and financial problems in three years time, says Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Speaking at the Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) premier assembly, he said the current Pakatan Harapan (PH) has many plans which could overcome those problems.

Mahathir acknowledged that political power was not enough to revive the country. "It is of utmost importance for all of you to understand our history and know what is being done by this new government so that you can extend close cooperation to the government in the interests of the country, so that our country can once again be on the road to becoming a developed nation in 2025." The PM called on the civil servants to be patient. He said the cooperation of civil servants was necessary for them to understand the problems the country faced, including the US$245 billion debt. Mahathir said its the reason they were forced to cancel mega programmes that the previous government initiated, scheduled or implemented. "We have to reduce the expenditure on these huge projects. If we were to terminate the old contracts, we would have to pay compensation."

A part of the country's income, Mahathir said had to be used to pay the country's debt and this caused the government to pay less attention to national development. "If we cooperate in an atmosphere of peace and calm, we can restore the financial position and develop our country." Mahathir said after the debt has been settled, the government income will rise and can be used to help with the cost of living or the people.