Tabung Harapan to stop collecting donations in September
NSTP Team
New Straits Times30 August 2018
KUALA LUMPUR : Tabung Harapan Malaysia will cease accepting donations next month said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"We had not decided on the date, but maybe by next month," he replied when asked on whether there was any truth that collection to the fund will be stopped.
Speaking to reporters after attending a roundtable discussion with Aseam Business Leaders, here today , Dr Mahathir denied that move to stop collection was because of some companies were making use it as a lobbying mechanism.
"It could be, but we are not affected. There was one very big donation from a company that had problems, we refused to accept it, " he said.
"It is actually a way of knowing how people love the country, they are willing to sacrifice in order to overcome our problems, money problems."
“I think it is quite clear, that people who have even small sums are willing to help save the country", Dr Mahathir said.
The Tabung Harapan was established by Prime Minister on May 30, to enable Malaysians to donate towards reducing the RM1.087 trillion national debt.
As of yesterday, more than RM180 million has been put into this fund.
Meanwhile on the Johor government’s plan to construct a third link between Malaysia and Singapore to reduce traffic congestion on the Johor Causeway, the Prime Minister just said: " There are some planning."
Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian said the third link, once completed, would connect Pengerang in east Johor to Pulau Ubin in Singapore.
He also said the state government will draft a proposal for the construction of the link before submitting it to the federal government for approval. — Reports by Manirajan Ramasamy, Tasnim Lokman and Nurhayati Abllah © New Straits Times Press (
