Selangor water woes more critical than 1MDB debt, says Najib 

Melati A. Jalil Melati A. Jalil Updated 6 years ago · Published on 12 Mar 2018 11:34AM · 6 Comments

Prime Minister Najib Razak deflects question on 1Malaysia Developmment Bhd by calling attention to the recent water crisis in the Klang Valley, in Parliament, today. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 12, 2018.

PRIME Minister Najib Razak today refused to answer a question in Parliament on the effects of 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) debts on the economy.

Instead, Najib, who is also Finance Minister, called attention to the water crisis that had recently hit many parts of the Klang Valley.

Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) had asked Najib to explain whether 1MDB’s debts had led to an increase in Malaysia’s interest payments, which as of 2016 amounted to 12.5% of the country’s income.

“Selangor water crisis is more critical,” Najib replied, to the delight of several Barisan Nasional lawmakers.

This prompted Azmin, who is also Selangor Menteri Besar, to protest the answer and ask Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia why Najib (BN-Pekan) was allowed to avoid answering Azmin’s question.

“If BN lawmakers are confident of the prime minister, let the prime minister answer (my question),” Azmin said.

Abdul Azeez Rahim (BN-Baling) said: “We are not confident of Selangor; today we didn’t have water to shower.”

Azeez said 1MDB’s debts had nothing to do with Malaysia.

Othman Abdul (BN-Pendang), Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong), Normala Abdul Samad (BN-Pasir Gudang) Ahmad Nazlan Idris(BN-Jerantut) also spoke up to chide Azmin for interrupting the prime minister.

Pandikar intervened to remind the MPs to stick to the Dewan Rakyat’s standing order.

The Speaker said both 1MDB and water crisis were critical issues.

“Sometimes the questions have different meanings and same goes for the answers which will also have different meanings. That’s politics… as long as it doesn’t violate the standing order,” he said. 

Azmin had quoted a Straits Times report last month that said high interest payments, low government revenue and off-the-books bailouts of state firms had sparked concerns of a looming budget crisis in Malaysia despite Najib’s assurance that the country’s total borrowings were well under control.

In January, Najib said Malaysia’s total debt of RM685.1 billion last year compared favourably against other countries, because the sum was  only 50.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

“Malaysia is better off than developed countries such as Singapore at 112%, United Kingdom at 89.3%, Canada at 92.3%,” Najib was quoted as saying. He declined to explain how Singapore was able to spend far less servicing its debt, using only 6.1% of its revenue in 2016. 

This year, Putrajaya is expected to pay RM31 billion in interest, more than double the amount in 2009, the year Najib took office and when the government’s interest burden was less than 9% of its revenue, according to the Straits Times.

Najib later said Azmin should have given him the chance to answer the question as the issue was not the size of the nation’s debt but the nation’s ability to repay it. 

“I’m just making a comparison, why is Gombak (MP) defensive when we talk about water?” he said. 

“We have the ability to repay (our debts); this shouldn’t be questioned because international rating agencies have placed us in the ‘A’ category. 

“This means that our nation’s finances, including our national debt, are well-managed. We hope the water problems in Selangor will be just as properly managed,” he said. – March 12, 2018.

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Comments

  • A person can go nuts in many2 ways and telling lies is 1 of them

    Posted 6 years ago by Leslie Chan · Reply

  • The 1MDB debt is enough to buy mineral water for 500,000 affected consumers for months, be it to drink or other usages.Better still, build few more dams.

    Posted 6 years ago by Can Lim · Reply

  • PM doesn't want to answer questions on 1MDB at the Parliament. Media from all over the world has been reporting about the case n even said that the PM is a thief; yet he was silent n doesn't want to sue any of them. But if 1MDB was raised outside the Parliament, another Umno minister threatened to charge whoever the person is under fake news law. Now, tell me. Where can we find out the truth about 1MDB? If Parliament is not the proper place then where? If the news reported by other media in the world were fake news, then, what is the truth about 1MDB? Why cannot the rakyat obtain the truth from the ruling govt? The whole world knows about this but yet the Umno govt cover it up. Where are all the MCAs n Gerakans, n the BN component parties? If you claim you can represent the communities in Malaysia, n to vote you to get a voice n representation, where are you? In fact, if what was reported was true, n since the PM doesn't want to comment which meant that it was true, then, all the cabinet ministers n the whole BN govt should be charged with conspiring with the PM to steal from the rakyat. Not only that, the Police, the MACC n Judiciary institution must be revamped because all the apparatus cannot detect the world's biggest kleptocracy ....surely it bespeak that the institution has failed miserably....o yeah, of course it can be said that the PM control it but...if you got integrity, n you knew that with the amount of info, it is ridiculous to cover it up, then, you should resign voluntarily as a matter of principle.. to show that you care for the the rakyat...n that you are the under the service of DiRaja Malaysia n not Umno's service.

    Posted 6 years ago by Peace Maker · Reply

  • What else would you expect from a thief who's protected by law enforcement agencies.

    Posted 6 years ago by Xuz ZG · Reply

  • Keep up the evasive ans.... One day you have to answer God.

    Posted 6 years ago by Zureen ariff · Reply

  • Selangor's water woes are the result of SPLASH, a Sdn Bhd awarded the water contracts by the then BN-governemty, and controlled by non-Pakatan linked personalities. The Selangor government's hands are tied, and it could not enter the private premises to take essential corrective action. And at worst, it affects the population of Selangor and parts of Kuala Lumpur.

    1MDB? How many billions have already been stolen and lost? Worse, the resultant damage from all sorts of related measures and deals like Bandar Malasysia and TRX are sucking in many more billions from several government agencies. The negative impact on foreign investments from the deep corruption, coverup attempts and loss of confidence in the Malaysian government surely goes into many tens, even hundreds, of billions. Even my yet-unborn grandchildren may likely the hurt.

    It is good that Najib has clearly stated just what his sense of priorities are. With GE14 to take place shortly, the rakyat can evaluate for themselves whether Najib and his yes-men syncophants deserve their votes.

    Posted 6 years ago by K TWong · Reply