THE 5.5% economic growth forecast for this year places Malaysia in the “superb” category, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.

He said the forecast for the nation was far better than that of the US (2.5%), the UK (1.4%), Japan (1.4%) Germany (2.4%) and Singapore (2.5%), which dispelled the opposition’s notion that Malaysia would go bankrupt.

“The World Bank global economic growth forecast for 2018 is 3.1%, that is, 2.2% for advanced economies, and 4.5% for emerging markets and developing economies.

“In the East Asia and Pacific region, the economic growth forecast is 6.2% to 6.4% for China, and 5.3% for Indonesia.

“An economic growth of 2% to 3% is regarded as normal, while 5% and upwards is superb,” he said in his blog tonight.

Salleh said the opposition often played up rhetoric that gave the impression that Malaysia would go bankrupt, citing Pakatan Harapan prime minster designate Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said the country was going to be “destroyed”.

“All these are the opposition’s lies. What is really taking place is the opposite of what they claim.” – Bernama, February 1, 2018.