PM defends cabinet picks, no reshuffle

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appears annoyed about constantly being asked if he would reshuffle his six-month-old cabinet.

When asked at a recent interview whether a reshuffle is in the offing after the Bersatu general assembly which concludes this Sunday, Mahathir responded with a bitter laugh.

"Heh, heh, heh... Who would you compare (my cabinet too)? You want to make a comparison with (former prime minister) Najib (Abdul Razak)?

"Would you prefer that Najib won (the general election)? If Najib won, what would have happened to our country?

"We would have more debt and be in ruins. There would be corruption and theft," Mahathir told the press.

The question of a cabinet reshuffle has popped up several times over the past month.

Among those under fire are those from Mahathir's own party, namely Education Minister Maszlee Malik and Rural and Regional Development Minister Rina Harun.

Also facing pressure is de facto unity minister P Waythamoorthy, who has been accused of fanning racial tensions and exacerbating the rioting at a temple in Seafield, Selangor, last month.

Despite the criticism of his cabinet, Mahathir said compared to Najib, his administration has not been dogged with corruption allegations.

‘Gov’t doing well’

He also argued that the government has been doing well despite inheriting "RM1 trillion" in debt.

"We are faced with a financial deficit, but the government still runs and gives confidence to foreigners who look highly at our achievements.

"But people here, they want instant results; in six months, no more problems.

"But how can that be? We have RM1 trillion debt. If you earn RM4,000 but have RM50,000 in debts, would you not have problems? Of course, you would!"

Mahathir reiterated his past remarks that he would give his cabinet members time to get better in their respective roles.

"No reshuffle. We'll give the cabinet members a chance to improve their performance," he said. - Mkini