Dr Mahathir replies to Pak Lah’s “spendthrift PM” claim

 

(The Star) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has finally cleared the air over claims in a book by his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Malaysia would have gone bankrupt if his advice was followed.

Taking to his blog chedet.cc on Thursday, the fourth Prime Minister for 22 years, however, noted that he was happy that Abdullah had explained in his book, The Awakening, that it was not him, but an interviewer, who wrote about how the nation would be bankrupt if he had followed the advice.

“I hope he does not mind my clearing my name over what the interviewer wrote,” he wrote.

Dr Mahathir said: “Yes, I agree that I was a spendthrift Prime Minister who finished all the government money building the North South Expressway, Penang Bridge, West Port, KLIA, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and an assortment of others.”

He said had Abdullah succeeded him earlier, “all these would be stopped to save Malaysia from bankruptcy.”

As it is, he said, Abdullah managed to stop the crooked bridge and the railway double-tracking and electrification project.

He said the bridge would have cost just under RM1bil. The cancellation cost the Government RM200mil in compensation and unfinished work.

Dr Mahathir said the railway project from Johor Baru to Padang Besar was going to cost RM14bil – slightly more than RM2bil per year for six years. RM14bil was saved but then it was found necessary to build the electrified double track from Ipoh to Padang Besar, he added, at a cost of RM12bil.

“A contract was given to a foreign company to build the track from Seremban to Gemas. I don’t know what it cost. Looks like the RM14bil saved was spent on very much shorter tracks, about one-third in length. Still there must have been a lot of money saved,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said the small jet he used was good only for the Deputy Prime Minister while a big jet was bought not through the usual channels but by some private individual. 

“There was denial by the Government that the A320 was bought for the use by the Prime Minister. But the aircraft is even today used by the Prime Minister. Wonder why the deal was struck. Who really owns the aircraft? How much money has been saved by the Government from this deal?,” he said.

Touching on the economic super-corridors initiated by Abdullah, Dr Mahathir said each corridor would cost RM70bil. 

“Then it is learnt that the allocation include private sector investments. Before, the Government budget is about how the Government will spend Government money. Under Tun Abdullah the Government budgets for the private sector to spend. But that’s allright because the figures look good,” he added.

However, since none of the corridors took off, billions were saved, he said.

“It must have been a very rich Government which went for the 12th General Election. Sadly the people did not appreciate the billions that were saved. They rejected the Government party, giving 5 states and one federal territory to the opposition, and just a small majority to the thrifty party.

“Just imagine how many billions more would be saved if I had stepped down earlier before building the North-South Highway, Penang Bridge, KLIA, West Port, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, the twin towers of Petronas and a host of other mega projects. We would be sitting on a mountain of Ringgits,” he said.