PH says it needs more than 100 days to fulfil pledges
PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says: “We did not know the extent of the damage to the country.”
THE Pakatan Harapan government yesterday said it needed more time to fulfil all the pledges it outlined in its “10 promises in 100 days” manifesto.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government needed more time to fulfil all the pledges because of the “damage” caused to the country.
In a speech at a breaking of fast event at Masjid Al Hana in Kuah, Dr Mahathir, who is also Langkawi member of parliament, did not specify the nature of the “damage”. He is, however, believed to be referring to the national debt.
“In the 14th General Election, we (Pakatan Harapan) promised a better life for the people.
“But, all these promises were made based on incomplete information. We did not know the extent of the damage to the country.
“As such, we admit that we may have to take more than 100 days to complete these pledges.
“I hope the people understand that it is not easy to govern the country in its present state.”
Present were his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, and his wife, Tok Puan Norzieta Zakaria, and BR Group executive director Datuk Arshad Desa.
The event was Dr Mahathir’s first official event here after his appointment as the seventh prime minister following Pakatan Harapan’s victory in GE14.
In his speech, Dr Mahathir called on Malaysians to unite post-GE14.
Expressing his gratitude for the smooth transition of power, Dr Mahathir said people should not get carried away by political differences to the extent that it created rifts between the communities, especially during Ramadan.
“We should be grateful for the peace that we enjoy. I hope that political enmity will not continue.
“We must work to defend this peace as a sign of gratitude, as Allah in the Quran says that when we express gratitude over His blessings, the blessings will then come in abundance.”
Dr Mahathir also urged Muslims to preserve their ties with people of all races and religions. He said although there were some Muslims who were wary of those from other faiths, this should be avoided.
“This is the beauty of this country, where people of other faiths also respect Islam. This is what we must preserve,” he said.