‘IMF interested in Malaysia’s rehabilitation efforts’
SINGAPORE: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed keen interest in what the government is doing to rehabilitate the country, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Mahathir, who is known not to be on good terms with the monetary organisation, said IMF managing director Christine Lagarde had relayed this to him during their meeting here.
“They are very interested in what we are doing. This includes our anti-corruption strategies.
“She knows about the past... about our relations with the IMF and all that. She said they are not like that now.”
Dr Mahathir is attending the 33rd Asean Summit and Related Meetings here.
His stormy relationship with the IMF goes back to the Asian Financial Crisis over two decades ago. He snubbed a bailout offer by the fund and slapped capital controls on global investors, instead.
After his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday night, Dr Mahathir said Russia was offering to sell its aircraft to Malaysia.
“He raised the possibility of selling airplanes to us. That depends on how much money we have.”
However, Dr Mahathir did not disclose whether the offer was for military or commercial purposes.
Asked whether Russia would help maintain the jet fighters that Malaysia bought from Moscow, Dr Mahathir said: “He will help us. We have a fleet of Sukhois. Some of them (are) not flying.”
During the bilateral meeting, Dr Mahathir said Malaysia needed “to learn more on how to maintain and repair the aircraft”.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force operates 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKMs. It also bought 16 MiG-29s in 1995 but they have since been retired.
It has been reported that there were issues in the Sukhois maintenance and servicing.
Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu had said only four Sukhois were able to fly, while the rest were under repair.