Trust in CEP’s abilities, says Kuok

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should trust that the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) will do its best for the country, said business magnate Robert Kuok.

“They (the other council members) comprise very fine Malaysians.

“I happen to be living in Hong Kong, so I can’t attend (meetings) too often. But Tun Daim (Zainuddin), Tan Sri Zeti (Aziz), Tan Sri Hassan (Marican) and Prof Jomo (Kwame Sundaram) are excellent people.

“Trust them, trust them,” he said when approached by reporters after his first CEP meeting at Menara Ilham here yesterday.

Kuok was named as one of the five members of the CEP, which was formed three days after Pakatan Harapan toppled the Barisan Nasional government in the 14th General Election.

Kuok, 94, arrived here at 10am yesterday and stayed until about 5pm with the other council members.

Daim, when approached after the meeting, said the discussion revolved around fuel subsidy.

He added that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement on the RM1 trillion national debt was not discussed.

Asked if any decision on the issue of tolled highways had been made, Daim merely said that representatives from UEM and the Employees Provident Fund “will be coming in again next week”.

Dr Jomo, meanwhile, said he would only speak to the press after the first 100 days were over.

The CEP met Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, EPF chief executive officer Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan and Customs Department director-­general Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy.

The council also met with officers from the Domestic Trade, Coopera­tives and Consumer­ism Ministry, Finance Ministry, Bank Negara and the Economic Planning Unit.

All officers were seen leaving the building between 1.10pm and 4.30pm.