Najib condemned PH by saying that it was not even trying to honour its election pledges and was happy to blame the previous administration when it broke promises that it never planned on fulfilling. ― Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak continued deriding Pakatan Harapan today over the coalition’s failure to deliver some of its election pledges, reminding them they previously derided him for touting the promises he fulfilled.

Seizing on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s admission that PH’s pledge to abolish highway tolls is not and never was possible, Najib likened this to a young man willing to say anything in order to woo a girl.

“Let me help translate, their true meaning is that their manifesto was written with the intention to deceive the people, without any intention to deliver,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Behind the mockery of ‘Janji Dicapati’ by the previous opposition, records show that a large part of [Barisan Nasional’s] promises were delivered.”

Najib’s BN launched a campaign themed “Janji Ditepati” ahead of the 2013 general election to highlight previous campaign pledges that were honoured.

Political rivals at the time mocked this by amending it to “Janji Dicapati”, in reference to the Indian flatbread.

The former PM condemned PH further by saying that it was not even trying to honour its election pledges and was happy to blame the previous administration when it broke promises that it never planned on fulfilling.

Dr Mahathir told the press in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday that abolishing tolls was not possible and that he had known this when PH decided to include this in its election manifesto.

According to national news agency Bernama, the PH chairman also said they made the promise thinking they would not win and would not need to deliver.

Damansara MP Tony Pua previously asserted that tolled highways could be eliminated for as little as RM25 billion, but Works Minister Baru Bian told Parliament in August that this would cost RM400 billion in compensation.

The aide to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng later disputed the works minister’s conclusion and said it would not cost that amount, but did not offer his latest estimate.