INCOMING Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said Pakatan Harapan would not forget the 10 pledges it promised to fulfil within 100 days.

He said PH would not forget to abolish the goods and services tax (GST), adding that he would deal with it after he was sworn in.

“We won’t forget our promise to scrap that tax. We will deliver the other promises, too, but they may take some time.

“We are going to try and work very hard to fight for the ordinary people,” he said.

Apart from the GST, PH pledged to reintroduce fuel subsidies, scrap unnecessary debts of Felda settlers, introduce an Employees Provident Fund scheme for housewives, and standardise and increase minimum wage across the country.

PH promised to also defer National Higher Education Fund Corporation student loan payments until borrowers earn more than RM4,000 a month and introduce Skim Peduli Sihat to provide a subsidy of RM500 for basic medical treatment at registered private clinics for those in the Bottom 40 group.

It also promised to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s autonomous rights, as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and review all mega projects awarded to foreign companies, such as the East Coast Rail Link.

PH also pledged to set up royal commissions of inquiry into scandal-ridden institutions, namely 1Malaysia Development Bhd, Majlis Amanah Rakyat, Tabung Haji and Felda, and hold those responsible for the scandals accountable.

On matters concerning his portfolio, such as economic policies, Lim, Penang’s former chief minister, declined to comment.

“I should not be commenting before I am sworn in as finance minister. I think I also need to meet the relevant senior officers first.

“It is not appropriate for me to say anything more. I want to make measured comments as the finance minister… it is a heavy task.

“Let me get my briefings first from the officers. We have steady hands handling the situation,” he said.

Lim also said he had not been able to meet the members of the eminent persons group headed by former finance minister Daim Zainuddin. 

The group is tasked with making recommendations to the federal government on the economy, national debt, ringgit’s value, GST, fuel subsidies and major scandals under the previous administration.

Other members in the group are former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Petronas president Mohd Hassan Merican, economist Prof Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, who is based in Hong Kong.

“I have not had the opportunity to meet them. But Kuok will not be coming to Malaysia. We will likely have a video conference with him,” he said. – May 13, 2018