PH changed the rules on debt, Najib tells ’emotional’ Tony Pua

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Najib Razak, hitting back at “an emotional outburst” by Damansara MP Tony Pua, said Pakatan Harapan had changed the rules on counting national debt.

Unlike other governments around the world, including Singapore, the PH government tried to create an entirely new definition which included direct government debt, government guarantees and lease obligations.

“As explained numerous times before, all other countries in the world and the various international agencies classify government debt as only direct government debt and does not include the other two.

“No one other than the PH government uses the definition that PH uses. It is just not internationally recognised and does not follow accounting standards,” he said.

His criticism came after Pua had responded to Najib’s statement that the government’s direct national debt had now reached RM1 trillion, a far cry from when his administration headed the country. Pua hit back by saying that the RM1 trillion debt was entirely that of Najib’s Barisan Nasional government.

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