He said in a newspaper interview that his government would give priority to restoring the country’s economic fortunes within a loose two-year time frame he has set for his premiership.
“If possible, in the near term, I want to overcome all the problems faced. That is my priority, to restore the wealth and economy and make the country one that is progressive,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
On his personal priorities, he said: “Money is not important if I succeed. What is important is the job satisfaction. This is what I am working towards,” he said in an interview with Sinar Harian, reported by Bernama.
In the interview, he also spoke about Pakatan Harapan’s role in repairing the damage caused by the previous administration, efforts at reducing the national debt, relationships with royalty.
Mahathir said no country should have a debt beyond its means. His government’s focus would be to ensure that loans taken by the federal government could be repaid.
“That is why we are not going to spend any more. We want to reduce. If we are going to repay, we must find ways. We will spend according to what we can afford,” he added.
He also made a comparison to citizens who took loans from loan sharks (Ah Long). “If we cannot pay, they will beat us up. It is the same, if we cannot repay, he (the party extending the loan) will beat us, but more in words like ‘I will bankrupt you’,” Bernama quoted him as saying.