14% export figures under BN higher than 1.1% in April, Najib tells Guan Eng

14% export figures under BN higher than 1.1% in April, Najib tells Guan Eng

The former finance minister takes a swipe at his successor for claiming the positive export growth is an early sign of a robust second-quarter GDP growth.

Najib Razak says for the whole of 2017, the monthly export growth average was 18.9% but Lim Guan Eng had said the economy was in crisis and the country was going bankrupt.
PETALING JAYA:
Former finance minister Najib Razak today took a jab at his successor for bragging that Malaysia’s exports in April, which recorded a positive growth of 1.1% to RM85.2 billion, is an early sign of a robust second quarter (Q2) gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

Najib reminded Lim Guan Eng that in the corresponding month last year, during Barisan Nasional’s administration, exports grew by 14%.

“For the whole of 2017, the monthly export growth average for the country was 18.9%.

“Back then, he said our economy was in crisis and the country was going bankrupt.

“Does he not realise that 14% is bigger than 1.1%?” he queried in a Facebook post.

Lim had said imports recorded a 4.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) rise in April, reflecting strong domestic demand.

“This comes after the first quarter GDP expanded by 4.5% from a year ago, beating Bloomberg’s market consensus of 4.3%,” he said in a statement today.

Total trade rose to RM159.5 billion in April after having increased by 2.6% y-o-y from RM155.5 billion a year ago.

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