“We want to look at the results of the action taken by the government and the huge debt we had to carry,” the prime minister said after attending a dinner event with administrative and diplomatic officers (PTD).

In his speech earlier, Mahathir said that he found “extensive destruction” of the administration after taking over as prime minister in May.

“I literally had to form a new government,” he said.

He said within six months, Putrajaya had managed to restructure the government, including through damage-control exercises.

He said he was convinced that Vision 2020, his blueprint for a developed nation status announced two decades ago, could be achieved.

“But after stepping down, things went wrong,” said Mahathir, who resigned as prime minister in 2003 after 22 years in power.

“The leadership had other ideas and we cannot achieve it now. Due to that we have postponed it to another five years to 2025 to achieve the developed country status,” he said.

Mahathir said Malaysia was known as an “Asian tiger” because the government had enjoyed support.

“A lot of people say I am responsible. Imagine if I was trying to build Malaysia without PTD officers,” he said.

He said when he first became prime minister in 1981, the government machinery was functioning well.

“The prime minister (then) did not have to do anything. Just give instructions and it would be carried out,” he said.

He said civil servants today have a duty to speak up.

“The government cannot do as they like. They now follow the current government but when it does something wrong, it is the officers’ duty to advise the government.”