SHAH ALAM, Oct 22 — A Cabinet filled with leaders who are ignorant, greedy, and lack focus is better than one of thieves and robbers, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
Dr Mahathir said this when asked to respond to remarks made by his special advisor Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, who said Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders were sabotaging their own government due to their incompetence and greed.
“(Having leaders who show) ignorance, greed, and lack of focus is better than having robbers and thieves in the Parliament to form the government,” he said during a forum at the Karangkraf Hall moderated by Tan Sri Johan Jaafar, which was organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian.
“When we start something, our achievements won’t be as how we expected,” Dr Mahathir said in defence.
He agreed that governing was a learning curve that needs to be overcome by the new leaders.
Kadir has suggested that PH leaders and civil servants, as well as executives from government-linked companies and government-linked investment companies, were the main source of the sabotage.
Dr Mahathir admitted that being PM now was slightly harder than when he last held the post.
“Now it is slightly different, as last time I led the dominant party where we had the biggest voice and we were confident what we suggested would get support.
“But now we have an alliance between four parties, and each with their own ideology, hopes and assumptions,” he said.
Dr Mahathir explained that decision-making also now required convincing partners within the coalition.
“We have to go over what are the suggestions to solve the problems (at hand) and if it can be carried out, so it is harder,” he said.
