Najib: Like Dr M, I am ‘looking East too’

(MMO) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today defended his government’s tilt towards China, saying he was only continuing the “Look East” policy proposed by his predecessor-turned nemesis, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib, who was speaking at the MCA annual general assembly here described the move to forge closer ties with the communist republic as inevitable as China has become a major economic power.

“What is the difference between investments from China and investment from Japan or (South) Korea? or investment from the US? If Dr Mahathir said look East, I am looking East too,” the Pekan MP said in his speech.

“What I did is merely to add another country, China, because China has become the world’s biggest economy,” he added.

Dr Mahathir claimed recently Malaysia’s sovereignty has been compromised after Putrajaya sold several key assets that included prime land to China.

Najib had recently secured a RM144 billion deal from the communist republic. Among the major deals was to construct the RM55 billion East Coast Rail Line that will span across four states.