PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged his fellow Pakatan Harapan leaders to keep the plight of the lower-income groups as top priority, warning that many of the poor are unable to wait any longer for the coalition to deliver its promises of building a better economy.

“The poor are feeling the heat with the high cost of living and they can no longer wait for Pakatan Harapan to deliver its promise to fix the country’s economy next year,” Dr Mahathir said at a PH charity dinner yesterday.

“I am confident that our economy will be great next year. But the poor can’t wait that long.”

Dr Mahathir urged Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to formulate ways to help the poor, even as the government faces its own financial problems.

“There is no law that says we need to give the poor aid,” said Dr Mahathir.

“We don’t have enough money because we didn’t steal the money.

“(But) with this little money that we have, we will help them because they cannot wait until things are okay.”

Dr Mahathir also said he would not be leading the coalition in the next general election, but stressed that whoever replaces him will be a corrupt-free individual.

“I will not be leading in PRU15, God willing. But we will win because we are clean. If we are not clean, whoever leads the party will lose.”

The 93-year-old leader warned his ministers and party members not to get involved in corrupt practices.

“We need to be reminded constantly that there is no good in accepting dirty money,” he said.

“There are only bad things from it. There is nothing to be proud of.” – December 10, 2018.