Najib questions LGE's claims that Sarawak will go bankrupt

Datuk Seri Najib Razak. -AP

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) stopped short of asking the Finance Minister to return to school to study basic accounting terminologies.

Najib asked Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng if he could tell the difference between negative, positive, surplus and deficit following the latter's unwarranted claim that Sarawak would go bankrupt in three years if it continued tabling an annual budget of RM11bil, as it would soon deplete its RM30bil reserve.

Najib said Sarawak had tabled a surplus budget, and not a deficit budget this year.

"Sarawak's revenue is greater than its expenditure in 2019.

"There is excess. Positive, not negative. That means, at the end of 2019, Sarawak's RM30bil reserve would be increased," he said in his Facebook posting.

Najib was commenting on Lim's claim that Sarawak would go bust in three years if the state continued tabling an annual budget of RM11bil.

Najib said the surplus budget meant that there would be no reduction in the quantum of reserve.

"Can the mentri kewayangan (drama minister) tell the difference?

"If don't know, refer below.

"Revenue greater than expenditure equal excess or surplus or positive.

"Revenue less than expenditure equal deficit or negative," said Najib.