Malaysia will not achieve Vision 2020: PM (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: The country's likely failure to achieve a developed nation status by 2020 is to be shouldered by a "certain previous administration" that strayed away from the mandate given to them by the rakyat.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that certain leaders with power then were blinded and had forgotten why they were put in power by the people while admitting that it would be highly unlikely now for Malaysia to achieve that status.
Although he did not mention any names, Mahathir was believed to be referring to the Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's premiership and administration between April 2009 and May 2018.
"We introduced Vision 2020 (in 1991) and were on our way towards achieving that. But when we (government) forget about the power that we have and the reason we were in power, then that road comes to an end.
"And now, we no longer believe we can achieve that goal. We will not be a developed nation by 2020," he said at the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly, here, today.
Mahathir, who is the brainchild of Vision 2020, however, maintained that Malaysia would still achieve the developed nation status in the coming years after 2020, with the vast potential the country has.
"But what we need is sincerity, accountability, hard work, effort, and most importantly, we must be satisfied with our work and not with what is given to us," he said.
Mahathir had last month at an event in Japan said he no longer thought Vision 2020 was achievable but that if Malaysians worked very hard with the right policies in place, it could be achieved by 2025.
In only his second official address to the civil service, Mahathir also reminded the current crop of government servants not to stray off from their intended paths when they were first given power.
Citing other less-developed countries, Mahathir said many nations continue to lag behind because their administrators abuse their positions and power.
"The powers and mandate given to us are not meant for ourselves, but they are to achieve specific goals namely developing the country.
"We are given a lot of tasks to achieve these goals. But if we don't have a good intention and don't hold on to principles, then all these dreams (for the nation) will not materialise," he said.
"When we misappropriate funds and abuse our power, we will be the ones playing victims in the future as our country falls behind because of us," he added.