PM to Guan Eng: The poor cannot wait, help them

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad tonight urged Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to make helping the poor a priority.

"Just now we heard from Lim Guan Eng about how much the country's economic performance has improved. But of course, the general public are yet to enjoy the benefits from this success, (as) when we achieve success we will not be able to reap its benefits until the time comes.

"I am sure that in 2019, the rakyat will feel the relief. However, for the poor, they cannot wait (for the improvement to be felt), they are feeling the high cost of living (while) we promise to help the country recover," Mahathir said in his speech at the Pakatan Harapan fundraising dinner tonight, which was held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

"That is why now in front of the many people here, I want to ask our finance minister to have the generosity to help the poor whose money had been stolen by the previous government.

"We do not have much because we don't steal. But with what little we have, we will help. This is the Pakatan Harapan government, we always listen to the rakyat," he added. 

The Harapan chairperson was referring to earlier remarks made by Lim, who in his speech said that the country's economic improvement is yet to be felt because the government's initiatives including new foreign direct investments have their timeline to go into effect.

'Stay clean'

In his speech, Mahathir also reminded Harapan leaders to maintain the coalition’s anti-corruption aspirations if they want to continue being the people’s choice.

Harapan, he added, did not win because of the strength of any particular leader, but rather, because of the people's trust in the coalition.

Saying that he would not be leading the coalition in the next general election, Mahathir said Harapan would still win if they maintain their stance towards being corruption-free.

"I hope that Harapan parties would remember that we are chosen (by the rakyat) because we are clean. That is why we must not get involved in illegal activities, for example accepting money (upah) because that is not allowed by our country's laws.

"If we see the administration is not dirty, then we will continue to be in power. God willing, in the coming 15th general election, one in which I will not be leading (Harapan), we will still win because we are clean.

"But if we are dirty, corrupt... it does not matter who our leader is, we will be defeated by the rakyat," he said.

The fundraising event saw Harapan collecting a total of RM1.665 million by selling 156 tables before gaining another RM1.22 million through the auctioning of six portraits of its leaders.

Mahathir's portrait gained the highest bid among individual portraits with a winning bid of RM350,000 made by business tycoon Stanley Thai.

Meanwhile, a photograph of key Harapan leaders taken just before they had their first press conference following 14th general election victory received a winning bid of RM500,000.

It was purchased by Gan Yee Hin, the executive director of Platinum Victory Holdings Sdn Bhd. - Mkini