Where are your economic, education policies, Ku Li asks Pakatan

Chan Kok Leong SM Amin Chan Kok Leong, SM Amin Updated 6 years ago · Published on 6 Jun 2019 7:00AM · 9 Comments

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says Pakatan Harapan would do much better if it got on with governing instead of continuing to play the blame game. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, June 6, 2019.

AFTER more than a year in power, Pakatan Harapan has yet to outline an economic policy, said one of Umno’s longest-serving MPs, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The coalition must start governing the country, starting with fixing the economy, he said.

“There’s no policy on economy. Only Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) has made a statement (on shared prosperity) recently during the anniversary celebration. But there’s no policy as such,” Tengku Razaleigh told The Malaysian Insight in a recent interview.

The veteran politician noted it was the same with education.

“On education, we would have loved to see reform so that we can bring everyone together. But there’s nothing on that.

“Instead it’s only talk about black shoes and swimming and the like. I’m not (taking a dig) at him (Education Minister Maszlee Malik) but these things are irrelevant. We would like him to tackle the core issues of education.

“People are not happy because the standard of education is low and people don’t think we can catch up with the technological leap everyone else is experiencing.”

The 12-term MP said that PH would do much better if it got on with governing instead of continuing to play the blame game.

“You got the mandate, you carry on. These people have been arrested and charged, so let them grapple with those problems,” said the Kelantan prince.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

Q: What do you think of Pakatan Harapan?

TR: If Pakatan doesn’t play too much politics as government then I think they would have done well. They keep blaming the previous government, Najib Razak and the rest. You got the mandate, you carry on. These people have been arrested and charged, so let them grapple with those problems.

You have the mandate from the people and you should just do things. Why keep coming back to BN (Barisan Nasional)? 

I hate this Lim Guan Eng. I’m going to tell him. Especially with all this RM1 trillion debt issue. Actually, it’s not RM1 trillion.

I think they don’t know how to read accounts. I’ve been minister of finance, too, for longer than him. And I was a banker, too. But you don’t read accounts that way and not accept the norms of national accounting, which are accepted by IMF and other organisations. That’s the yardstick to measure growth.

When you start putting everything in one basket, it will get heavy. That frightens a lot of investors as it cuts both ways. You may be able to blacken the name of BN and its leaders but you also frighten those who want to put money here.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng should stop with his ‘creative’ accounting on the national debt. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, June 6, 2019.

Money is not coming in and we are not managing our debt position well and they have to go running all over the place to look for money.

I didn’t have to go anywhere when I was minister of finance as people came on their own.

Q: As a former finance minister, do you acknowledge projects such as the ECRL and Sabah gas pipeline with inflated costs were the previous government’s doing?

TR: I’m not saying that it’s a good thing. It’s a bad thing to overprice. But it started in Dr Mahathir’s time.

The elevated highway? How much did it cost? One km of it can build 10 highways. It was inflated here and there for friends.

Q: Has PH done anything good?

TR: The good is he’s brought people together and the biggest thing is the realisation that we have to grapple with reality and not live in a world of dreams.

PH was able to get people who don’t believe all the things said about BN to rally around. People have also started to accept it although there’s a lot of propaganda and some are grossly exaggerated. Like this 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) thing. Who knows? Najib could get out of it.

Q: What about the education policy?

TR: Is there a policy? There’s no policy for the economy either. Only Dr Mahathir has made a statement (on shared prosperity) recently during the anniversary celebration. But there’s no policy as such.

On education, we would have loved to see a reform so that we can bring everyone together. But there’s nothing on that. Instead it’s only talk about black shoes and swimming and the like. I’m not digging at him but these things are irrelevant. We would like him to tackle the core issues of education.

People are not happy because the standard of education is low and people don’t think we can catch up with the technological leap everyone else is experiencing.

But nothing is coming in.

Education is one of the best ways to bring people together and help everyone progress. Tunku Abdul Rahman started with education with the Abdul Razak Report in 1956.

Tunku thought it could bring everyone together but that left much to be desired with the NEP (New Economic Policy) and it went tangential. I thought Dr Mahathir would bring it back as he was education minister before. But he has high regard for Dr Maszlee Malik.

He said he wanted to be the education minister but I’m happy he’s not because he can be very stubborn.

If he decides on something, he’s very difficult to convince otherwise. It’s better for someone else to it, even badly, and for everyone else to provide the comments and criticism to right it. – June 6, 2019.

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Comments

  • Seriously? The observations above are tenuous to say the least. Compared to the last BN government PH is far and away better for the country. Certain areas need a lot more work but thats why BN is on the opposition, to be a balance. Without any condemnation of the corruption in its ranks, BN politicians have no credibility.

    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply

  • Razaleigh is a man who always talk and talk but not a man of action. Pakatan Harapan is doing much better than BN/Umno Government. So be a man of action not just lip service!

    Posted 6 years ago by Jordan Lee · Reply

  • He is outdated and should stay retire.....he is over the hill and should be relax at home

    Posted 6 years ago by Wei Kuan Tan · Reply

  • An empty vessel. What have you done being MP for more than half a decade? You behaved hypocrite while you were in BN and all your talks in seminars are nothing other than being a man words only. What have you contributed to the nation as MP for 5 terms? Gua Musang folks too have not benefited other than the orang Asli being made the scapegoats. In what way Lim Guan Eng become stupid by announcing the debt of the country reached one trillion? LGE was also an accountant and a Banker so there is nothing that you can teach him. Your empty talks to survive your political life to further your stay as MP, perhaps unto the death bed. I did not expect you to speak like this because people had high regards but you became the man of words later rather than being the man of deeds, then started your downfall.

    At 93 Mahathir has come to save the country but you and many other nationalists of UMNO were in your arm chair talks. Najub looted the nation and you as UMNO veteran did not even openly condemn him till now./what is there for you to give negative opinion of others in PH? Is it because of UMNO doing for the last 60 years that led the country to almost bankrupt and you guys in UMNO wouldn't want to take any responsibility but instead sitting in your laurels to blame the current government trying to heal the wounds to restore the economy. The cause for all the mess is UMNO and the idiots who were only interested in looting the wealth of our country. Be a gentleman to appreciate what Mahathir is doing to date though he admitted his faults in his tenure as PM1.

    Posted 6 years ago by Swaminaidu Venkatasamy · Reply

  • Please use past tense and say the education level was low and economy was devastated by huge debts. Then you know how much we hate BN.

    Posted 6 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Please retire gracefully and don't burn your goodwill with people.

    Posted 6 years ago by [email protected] · Reply

  • Question.. where were your comments during the 1MDB fiasco during BN's reign? Did you comment on education standards and policies during the previous government? Education standards didn't drop overnight since May 9th 2018, you know. As I recall for all those events, quiet only.

    Posted 6 years ago by 2 Cents · Reply

  • Pakatan Harapan is not done yet trying to unravel the gaping hole in our economy from UMNO's kleptocrats. Ku Li has a point though when it comes to not having an Education policy.

    Posted 6 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • reform on education? what were you dong when you were with the crooks? did you push to reform or join the curi curi Malaysia gang?

    Posted 6 years ago by . . · Reply