Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy has lauded the Pakatan Harapan administration over the nation jumping 10 places in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2019, which is the highest in eight years.

In the process, the DAP assemblyperson also took a swipe at former premier Najib Abdul Razak, whom he claimed is fond of trolling Harapan on social media.

“Our CPI score had been on a downward trend because of Najib and the 1MDB scandal. Now without him, there is a marked improvement. Can Najib dispute this?” he asked.

Despite this and the deluge of charges against him, Ramasamy said the former premier still remained popular among certain segments.

“We should not allow him the space to leverage on our shortcomings and internal issues. We must do what we promised.

“It is absurd that someone who has been charged with grand corruption and theft can travel the nation and talk as if he is a hero. It is absurd when some people can be convinced that his administration was better than ours. If we deliver our promises, this would not happen,” he told Malaysiakini this evening.

The deputy chief minister is often accused of being a destabilising force in Harapan due to his criticism of the government on certain issues and his hard-hitting remarks on the power transition between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

“I admit that I have been critical on certain issues. But credit must be given where it is due. The CPI index is one such example. This shows Harapan has made improvements,” he said.

“I am critical not because I want to run down the government or Harapan but rather to improve the coalition and to prevent it from handing BN a default win in the next general election,” he added.

Ramasamy also said the fact that Harapan was defeated in five by-elections does not mean the coalition is floundering.

“Remember, Harapan won five by-elections earlier, making it even.

“Even if the Plus toll concession has been extended, the price has been capped. In other words, there would not be any toll increase for a while.

“Following the devastation of the 1MDB scandal with a huge foreign and domestic debt, the economy is showing signs of recovery with the rise in CPI.

“For nearly the past two years, the recovery from BN caused debt and scandals represented a painstaking effort,” he added.

The DAP leader also acknowledged that several Harapan ministers have been working hard but pointed out there is still much to be done.

“Harapan must remember that it won the last general election because of protest votes against BN and the promises we made in our manifesto.

“So it is crucial that these promises are fulfilled and the transition of power is one of the promises. A promise is a promise. It must not be broken. This is the reason I am so adamant on this issue.

“The people have great expectations of us. We cannot blame them. It is we who created this feeling and so we must live up to these expectations and not make excuses all the time,” he added.