Financial constraints hindering govt’s efforts to deliver

The revised East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will see Malaysian contractors having a 40% participation in the RM44bil project, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

CYBERJAYA: Efforts by Pakatan Harapan to deliver the promises it made during the last general election have been hindered by financial constraints, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said there were many things that the Pakatan government wanted to do for the people.

However, its plans could not be carried out because of the government’s financial situation, Dr Mahathir added.

“We have a lot of problems. Believe me, we don’t have the money. It has been stolen, that is

the main problem,” he said yesterday.

The Prime Minister was questioned on Council of Eminent Per­sons chairman Tun Daim Zain­uddin’s statement that the Pakatan government was expected to deliver on promises made in the 14th General Election in six months.

Daim said he expected the people to return to supporting the government once it delivered on its promises, especially by paying more attention to the economy.

On the recently concluded Rantau by-election, Dr Mahathir said Pak­atan’s defeat was not something out of the ordinary.

Despite the result, he said the status quo remained the same – that there was no change in government caused by the defeat.

“Most government parties during by-elections will not get a lot of support because the voters know there will be no change in the government.

“Whatever happens in the by-election, whether the government party wins or not, the government remains the same.

“In Negri Sembilan, the state government is still Pakatan,” said Dr Mahathir, who is Pakatan chairman.

He was asked for his opinion on the results, which saw the coalition losing its third consecutive by-election in 2019.

In the Rantau by-election, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan defeated Pakatan’s Dr S. Streram by 4,510 votes.

Two other independent candidates, R. Malarvizhi and Mohd Nor Yasin, garnered 83 and 79 votes respectively.

Mohamad had won the seat unopposed in GE14 after his would-be opponent Dr Streram failed to produce his tag or pass.

However, an election petition filed by Dr Streram to declare Mohamad’s walkover as not valid triggered the by-election.

Popularly known as Tok Mat, Mohamad, the former Negri Sembilan mentri besar, has held the Rantau seat since 2004.