“I am jealous of Aminudin because of the many successes (in Selangor) which he has shared with us tonight,” he said at a talk on the “New Malaysia” at Dewan Raja Muda Musa here.
He added however that while Selangor had seen much success, things were not as rosy in Putrajaya.
“When I reached Putrajaya, (I discovered) our coffers were empty. We are saddled with a debt of close to RM1 trillion and left with the question of how to manage the country’s economy today,” said Azmin, who was appointed as economic affairs minister in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Cabinet.
About 200 people were present at the talk, including Aminudin and incoming PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
Azmin also joked that there were times when he felt like returning to Selangor.
“Maybe later I will speak with Anwar (about returning to Selangor) – on condition that Aminudin agrees,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
On a more serious note, he said the country’s economic situation was a challenge that needed to be faced together.
“This is why Anwar’s return to Parliament as Port Dickson MP is a motivation for the leadership and I to move together, and work collectively to make Malaysia the tiger of Asia again,” he added.
Azmin said the Pakatan Harapan government was committed to total reforms in order to simulate a strong and sustainable economy and restore Malaysia’s image in the eyes of other nations.
He also expressed gratitude for Mahathir’s repeated use of the Reformasi term when tabling the mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan in Parliament, voicing the government’s commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of the people.