Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir says the government has not done enough to reduce costs in addressing the country's economic situation.

He also said that the priority was to address corruption and wastage in government.

 

Mukhriz said the Kedah executive council believed  agriculture  was a sector that deserved focus.

"From a micro perspective, the agriculture sector involves billions of ringgit. If even one or two percent is saved, it translates into hundreds of millions of ringgit," Mukhriz said at a press conference in Alor Setar today.

"We should do that first before we dare to talk to the rakyat to accept cuts in subsidies," Mukhriz added.

He said that the government has not given much thought on how to strike a balance between populism and doing the right things in addressing the country's economic situation.

 "Some approaches that we take seem to solve the problems in the short term but have long term consequences.

"Sometimes (the solutions are) for the long term, but in short term, we have to suffer the full brunt of public negative reaction. I believe there is a balance to be struck (between the two)," he held.

Mukhriz was also asked to elaborate on his interview with Malay daily Berita Harian , where he warned that BN may lose the next general election if the government is only concerned about rolling out "the right policies" and neglects the question of popularity.

He was also asked if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was addressing the issue of price hikes in the right manner, and whether he (Mukhriz) had any suggestions to offer in the area.

Mukhriz said he did not mean that Najib was not popular but said there was a need to strike a balance between doing the right thing and doing something popular.

"My fear is that if we are too focused on doing what we think is right, eventually we will lose the elections and it will be too late," Mukhriz said.

"But who says what is right cannot be popular? We might actually find a formula which is both,” he insisted.

Austerity measures

Najib has been criticised strongly for his austerity measures, which he had defended by stating it was necessary in order to avoid the government having to take up loans to run the country, and that going the populist route would destroy the nation.

In the Berita Harian interview, Mukhriz had taken a dig at Najib, telling him not rely on advice from "outsiders" though he did not specify whom he was referring to.

Mukhriz then announced that the Kedah government will soon appoint an official to head the state's governance and integrity department to address issues of corruption and wastage.

 

Mukhriz said his administration has identified the person to head the department and is someone with calibre and integrity. 

 

"We are looking at our standard operating procedures (SOP) and there are clear set of rules and processes clearly outlined but in the end it says "we have the discretion".

 

"We have discussed and decided to take out such sentences because if we have too much discretion, too much power given to anyone, including myself as MB, you are exposing that person to the possibility of it corruption and abuse of power happening. We do not want to allow this possibility."

 

Asked the need for another department when there is the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, Mukhriz said: "We are collaborating. They go for the culprits, we want to prevent corruption.”