PAKATAN Harapan under Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership has a very clear, strong structure, and will not end up being a one-term government, contrary to what critics from Barisan Nasional claim, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

“We are solid as a government; not just solid but we have clear leadership and clear structure. There is no political coalition in the country that moves like PH,” Saifuddin said at an interview at his ministry today.

“From day one, we have never missed our monthly meeting as a cabinet. We are intact, moving and functional.”

Saifuddin was responding to criticisms that PH had failed to fulfil many of its election pledges and was prone to backtracking on its policy announcements.

He also addressed concerns that the ruling pact was losing valuable Malay support, saying that PH had been wrongly painted as too weak to defend Malay and Muslim rights.

“We may be seen as weak in defending the Malay rights but we are the one who are now trying to save Tabung Haji and Felda from going down,” he said, referring to the two government agencies embroiled in financial troubles.

“Those who have ruined Tabung Haji and Felda are now being lifted as heroes and defenders of Islam,” he said of BN leaders.

A special audit of Tabung Haji by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the financial year 2017 showed that the fund had paid dividends using cash from the depositors’ savings fund instead of the profits declared.

The report, which was tabled in Parliament in December, also showed that Tabung Haji had made two deals that made it seem as if the dividends came from the fund’s profits.

Besides overstated profits, the report highlighted overstated value of assets, an unbalanced profile of depositors and questionable transactions.

The report said that Tabung Haji was sitting on up to RM10.2 billion in losses in equities and its liabilities outstripped its assets of RM9 billion.

The government has moved some the Tabung Haji assets to a special purpose vehicle to clean up the balance sheet.

Saifuddin said that while PH continued to defend the rights of Malays and all citizens, securing Malay support alone would not keep the coalition in power.

“Malay votes won’t bring you election victory.

“I was in the opposition since 1999 and until May 2018, I was still the opposition. The highest Malay votes for the opposition ever recorded was in the 1999 general election, and did we win it? No, we didn’t. In fact, BN secured two-thirds majority,” he said.

“In 2004, when DAP and PAS had internal conflict, we got wiped out. BN won big under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, not under Dr Mahathir. Malay votes have always been with Umno. Second, it goes to PAS and we in PKR came third.”

While Pakatan has made good on some of its election promises, others simply needed more time to be studied, Saifuddin said.

“Our promise to stabilise the price of petrol has been fulfilled. From RM2.20 now we have stabilised the price of RON95 at RM2.08.

“For PTPTN, we have released all names from being blacklisted. Secondly, we have paid RM2 billion in interest debt for settlers group.

“As for toll, we are still working on ways to try and look for the best possible method to meet with our promise,” he said. – April 25, 2019.