Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng today reiterated that Pahang's debts as of 2018 stood at RM3.18 billion, and not RM760 million as claimed by menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

In a statement issued by the Finance Ministry, Lim said records showed that in 2014, Pahang's debt amount to RM2.8 billion and had steadily increased since then.

"Financial records show that the Pahang state government has been continuously spending more than the revenue it receives, or a deficit budget since 2014.

"A continuous budget deficit does not show confidence in their ability to manage development well," Lim said.

Lim also provided two charts, one showing the Pahang government's debt levels between 2014 and 2018, and the other showing its revenue and expenditure betwen 2014 and 2017. 

Lim previously cited Pahang's colossal debt as a reason why voters should pick Pakatan Harapan to represent them in Cameron Highlands to ensure that federal and state governments can work together on development.

Wan Rosdy had denied Lim's assertions on Wednesday, claiming instead that Pahang's debt only amounted to RM760 million.

A tweet by the Finance Ministry to push Lim's statement on Pahang's debt on Tuesday courted flak from Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who said it was unprofessional.

"Be professional regarding official media statements. Clearly politically motivated due to Cameron Highlands. Use DAP's social media for political statements,” Khairy tweeted.