A NOTED composer and filmmaker has condemned a Bloomberg columnist for writing that newly minted finance minister Lim Guan Eng should be more tactful in his disclosures. 

Pete Teo took to Facebook to defend Lim’s recent revelations on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the government debt as a need to correct a wrong and not being to bothered about market sentiment. 

He was responding to an opinion piece by Bloomberg columnist Andy Mukherjee, who said Lim should be more “tacful” in communicating details of Malaysia’s RM1 trillion debt and 1MDB’s inability to meet its financial obligations. 

Teo said Mukherjee was writing without taking into consideration the concerns of the Malaysian people.

“The truth is – notwithstanding Mr Mukherjee’s delicate sensibilities – we frankly don’t care about the short-term fluctuations of the stock market. We worry about corruption, education, power abusive, communal relations – issues pivotal to the long-term health of our home,” he said. 

“In the interim, should you lose a few bob betting in a fluctuating stock market, put it down to bad timing or misfortunate or stupidity. Try not to blame our newfound administrative transparency.” 

Teo said this was a sacrifice that Malaysians made to correct the wrongs of the previous administration.

“So, if we inadvertently put a dent in your bank book in the course of correcting decades of administrative mismanagement, that’s just too bad. 

“It’s not as if you’d shed a tear if this country went down the drain, as she almost did under the old corruptly compliant regime,” he added.

Teo also flayed the author for being “lazy” and “insulting” to Malaysians for his narrow market-centric view. 

“But we are not stupid enough to confuse hot money with real investments that provide jobs, training, income and equitable wealth creation. With respect, neither should you.” – May 26, 2018.