‘Positive outlook debunks opposition lies’

LANGKAWI: The positive outlook for Malaysia’s economy by international rating agencies and financial institutions has debunked the lies propagated by opposition parties that the country is going bankrupt.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Forum, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings acknowledged the Malaysian government’s capability in managing the country’s economy.

He said the Barisan Nasional government had proven the opposition wrong by steering the country’s economy to post a 5.9 per cent growth last year, and the ringgit had emerged the best performing currency by appreciating from RM4.49 for US$1 to RM3.59 in the past few months.

On Wednesday, Bank Negara Malaysia announced that the country’s economic growth remained strong at 5.9 per cent as at the end of 2017.

Najib said the new high export value of RM83.5 billion recorded in November was yet another milestone in the country’s economic growth, which also dismissed the opposition’s criticism.

“Clearly, these are not the criteria of a bankrupt nation... If the country is going bankrupt, the prime minister would not have the guts to go down to the ground and the Indian community here would not be able to request for the betterment of the people.

“If we are going bankrupt, the World Bank and IMF would not sing praises of the country’s achievement and would have negative remarks. There was not a single international agency and financial institution that reported that we are going bankrupt,” he said.

Najib said this at a gathering with 1,000 people from the Indian community at Dewan MIC Kampung Kisap here on Friday.

Present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, Langkawi member of parliament Datuk Nawawi Ahmad, Kedah MIC chairman Datuk Jaspal Singh and Langkawi MIC division chief V. Nagaiah.

Najib reminded the people that if they wanted continuity in the country’s development, they should retain the existing government, which had proven its worth in transforming the nation.

He said this was unlike certain parties that made empty promises.

“If we look at one new opposition party, they are bickering among themselves. If you read in the newspapers and social media, every day there is a new report lodged with RoS (Registry of Societies). Former leaders who left the party are exposing discrepancies in the party.

“Is this the party that is capable of steering the country forward? Who is better? You may ask yourself for the right answer. It is clear that people in Langkawi realise that only in BN they can trust.”

Najib urged the Indian community to place their “nambikei” (faith) in BN as the only party capable of ruling the country.

He said the community should place its confidence in BN based on the concept of “naalai namathey, naalum namathey” (tomorrow is ours, the future is ours).

He said there would be more programmes for the Indian community, such as the RM500 million allocation for Amanah Saham Malaysia for the bottom 40 per cent group in the community.

“The choice is yours. I don’t have to elaborate because the people in Langkawi know better. The Indians in Langkawi know very well that BN is the only party they can place their trust in.”