PUTRAJAYA will form a crisis management team if there is indeed an economic crisis, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said today. 

“If there is a crisis then I think we will come to it (forming a crisis management team),” Lim told reporters today. 

He was responding to former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz’s comment to the New Straits Times that a crisis management team should be formed to take pre-emptive measures to mitigate external economic headwinds.

Lim said Rafidah is also a member of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) and her views can be heard. 

“I think we must also understand that this (economic headwinds) is all external and it is not just Malaysia alone but it is every other country,” he said.

“What we can do is try to mitigate the effects and also there could be some resolutions, who knows,” he said. 

Rafidah, who is also AirAsia X chairman, said countries will be affected directly or indirectly in global economic and political disputes.

“There are economic disputes, even political disputes. Countries will be affected directly and indirectly. There’s no doubt about (that) because we are exposed to the international environment, including the economic trading infrastructure, investments,” she said.

“So we should think ahead. I prefer to use the word pre-emptive so we won’t be caught unaware (should a recession occur). We are aware of what is currently happening and take action the soonest,” she added. – August 29, 2019.