MINISTERS are being kept on their toes under a prime minister who wants everything done “yesterday”.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he wanted the government administration to move faster but acknowledged that delays were caused by certain civil servants who supported the previous government.

“I have never been satisfied because I want things done yesterday if possible,” he said when asked if he was happy with his cabinet’s performance after he announced the results of a survey on Malaysians’ sentiments towards the new government.

“But I must admit that we haven’t achieved all our promises because the problems in the administration are worse than we had initially thought, because certain officers were still loyal to the previous government.”

Dr Mahathir had spoken previously about the new administration’s difficulties in dealing with Barisan Nasional loyalists among the civil service.

The Pakatan Harapan chairman today repeated the issue of newly appointed officers not being paid for up to four months because the officers did not carry out their instructions.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the PH presidential council meeting at the Bersatu head office in Petaling Jaya today, he said the meeting discussed the role that the coalition should play in the Sarawak state elections, which must be called by 2021.

But the council decided it was too early to make any commitments on the elections as it was still some time away, he said. – September 7, 2018.