‘STOP SAYING COST OF LIVING HIGHER IN SINGAPORE WHEN WE’RE LIVING IN MALAYSIA’: DAIM TICKS OFF SELF-AGGRANDIZING NAJIB, SAYS EVEN 10% GDP USELESS IF THE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING

THE Pakatan Harapan government is more concerned about the people’s wellbeing than chasing gross domestic product growth figures, said Daim Zainuddin.

“It’s pointless if GDP grows at 10% while the rakyat suffers. PH is more concerned about the people than high GDP,” said the former finance minister.

“It’s pointless if GDP is high but the rakyat complain of high prices, etc.

“The rakyat are our priority, not to show off to the rest of the world,” he said today on TV3’s Buletin Utama.

Daim, who chairs the Council of Eminent Persons, said the previous administration cared little for the rakyat.

“When people complained about the rising cost of living, they (the Barisan Nasional government) ticked off the rakyat. They said the cost of living is higher in Singapore but we’re living in Malaysia, not Singapore.

“The inflation rate is also said to be 3% for eight years in a row. No one believes the figure because the cost of living kept going up.

“People just laughed at the figure,” said Daim.

In fact, he said, during the 1986 and 1998 recessions, Malaysians did not complain because Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad prioritised the rakyat.

“In 1986, we cut the ministers’ pay so that the rakyat were not burdened.”

– Bernama