WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY
UMNO SEC-GEN DRAWS ON ENGLISH AUTHOR, LABELS GOVT A ‘KAKISTOCRACYʼ DPM: NO NEED FOR PH TO APOLOGISE PAS GIVES PH GOVERNMENT A ‘Dʼ
‘NOT bad, but much remains to be done’ is the thread that runs through most comments on the PH government’s performance. The PM himself is under no illusion, saying ‘it will take more time for us to complete and fulfil our promises’.
PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday said more time is needed to deliver on the promises made in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto.
“It will take more time for us to complete and fulfil our promises,’ he said when asked if the PH government could deliver on its election promises within this term following criticism that it would not be able to do so within 100 days as promised.
He was speaking to reporters after launching the Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur private hospital here yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said the setback was due to the manifesto being written on the basis that the coalition knew what the previous government was doing.
“When we took over, we found that the situation was much worse. More money was being borrowed and the machinery of the government was subverted.
“Maybe a term is not enough but most of the promises in the manifesto will be fulfilled in the timeframe.
“We find ourselves working in an environment that is not really dedicated to what we want.”
This, he said, included removing people from their positions and other issues that hindered progress.
He said to ensure the delivery of the manifesto, fundational issues, such as laws, needed to be passed before efforts could be made to work on the promises.
“You have to draft the law and things like that.
“So, while we have a promise that we can do things in 100 days, the most we can do is start them,” he stressed.
Dr Mahathir was reported to have admitted that PH had made some of its manifesto promises without expecting that it would win the 14th General Election (GE14).
Malaysiakini, quoting sources, stated that he said this at a closed-door gathering of PH and Parti Warisan Sabah members of parliament in Petaling Jaya on Monday night.
The report also said the prime minister had warned of a possible backlash if the coalition failed to make good on its election pledges.