MALAYSIA’S economy grew at a higher rate under Prime Minister Najib Razak than under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno information chief Annuar Musa said.

He said the country’s economic growth was at one time only “minus 2% or minus 3%” under Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir, who is now leading the opposition as Pakatan Harapan chairman, was prime minister for 22 years from 1981 to 2003. He was dubbed Malaysia’s “father of development”.

“Under Najib, we can record a 5.9% GDP (gross development product) growth in the last quarter of 2017,” Annuar said.

“During Dr Mahathir’s time, Malaysia’s international credit rating stood at B. Under Najib, it improved to A minus, which is the among the best in the region.”

Annuar was speaking at the the Umno-organised “Perjuangan for All” dialogue in Pinang Tunggal, Kepala Batas last night, where he compared Najib with Dr Mahathir.

He told the mostly Umno crowd of hundred of people that the ringgit also performed better under Najib than Dr Mahathir.

“Under Dr Mahathir, the ringgit plunged; but under Najib, our currency strengthened against the US dollar. Now everyone is quiet,” he said.

In January last year, the ringgit hit a 19-year low of of 4.4980 against the US dollar. But on January 5 this year, the ringgit strengthened to its highest level against the greenback since August 2016 to 3.998.

During Dr Mahathir’s time, the ringgit fell during the Asian financial crisis and was pegged against the US dollar until 2005.

Annuar also hit out at Dr Mahathir and the opposition for ‘‘lying” about the goods and services tax (GST).

“Najib did not want the people to pay the SST (sales and services tax) and companies to escape it. Only some 7,000 companies paid SST and the government collected RM14 billion.

“When the system was changed to GST, over 400,000 companies had to register for the new tax. The government collected RM42 billion that could be used on the people,” he said.

Annuar said the Najib administration had revamped the economy for the betterment of the people, but the opposition were “slandering” the policies like GST and 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M).

PH has blamed GST for the rising prices and has pledged to scrap the consumption tax while continuing to give out cash aid like BN’s BR1M. The cash handouts were previously criticised by Dr Mahathir.

Annuar said the increasing price of goods was an issue in every general election.

“From as far as I can remember, since my first election in 1986, the issue has been present in all elections. 

“People have been talking about prices going up since I was a boy, who could not afford Bata shoes, in the 1960s,” said the seven-term MP.

“When (Gua Musang MP) Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah fought Dr Mahathir, the issue also came up.

“People forget that the issue is not about prices going up or down. No government in the world can reduce prices of goods,” Annuar said.

The Ketereh MP from Kelantan said only Malaysia controlled the prices of over 20 goods, like rice, cooking oil, gas, wheat flour, sugar and milk.

He said the government has introduced policies that could increase the buying power of consumers, like increasing salaries and the minimum wage.

“There are various aids to lessen the financial burden of families, like school aid for families with children.

“There is also cheap sales, like the weekly one in my constituency on Fridays. People can get ikan kembung (mackerel) at RM9 per kilo instead of the usual price of RM14.

“That is what a government can do. What has the Penang government done? It increases rates,” he said, taking a jab at the DAP-led Penang government.

Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who was also a panellist at the dialogue, said the standard of living also changed.

He said the federal government under former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi introduced monthly aid to help low-income groups, like fishermen and farmers.

Under Najib, the aid was increased and the BR1M was introduced, the deputy foreign minister said.

Reezal said Najib was also more open to developing areas outside cities.

He said Kepala Batas was previously a cowboy town and even its former long-time MP Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had found it hard to bring development to the area.

Development arrived in Kepala Batas when Abdullah became deputy prime minister and finally prime minister in 2003, he said.

“Dr Mahathir was too city-centric. Development was focused in Kuala Lumpur.”

But under Najib, Reezal said he had managed to get three mosques, five religious schools, primary and secondary school, and other infrastructure projects approved.

“I go to him with this proposal and he approves. He thinks of other areas, not just KL. About half a billion ringgit worth of projects are coming to Kepala Batas,” said the first-term MP.

Reezal said despite the government doing its work, the opposition had continued to “incite” the people to hate Najib.

“They are inciting to get the people to hate Najib and (his wife) Rosmah Mansor because she wears too much jewellery,” he said.

Reezal warned the people that not everything repeated by the opposition was true.

“Like the RM900 billion national debt the opposition has claimed. The national debt stands at RM680 billion.

“They had been saying for years that Malaysia was going bankrupt. Until now we have not gone bankrupt…we even reduced the deficit, which means the country is prospering.” – March 1, 2018.