In a Facebook post today, he said all the while “Pakatan Harapan and the DAP” had claimed that Malaysia was a failed state and was going bankrupt after 60 years’ of BN rule and under the stewardship of its “fourth prime minister”.

“What has happened to the mass accusations that the people were out of jobs, dying of hunger or forced to eat sand and grass under BN?

“I don’t understand. These days, every week Pakatan Harapan is praising the BN.

“Is PH done with slandering BN and has now decided to praise us, instead?” Najib asked.

He was referring to statements by the international trade and industry ministry and economic affairs ministry that had praised certain aspects of the past administration.

Najib said the international trade and industry ministry praised Malaysia’s growth in 2017, saying it had reached its highest point in a span of 13 years.

The economic affairs ministry, he said, had in a statement praised “BN’s success since 1950” in developing the country at a higher rate compared with other emerging economies of the world. It also said, he added, that Malaysia’s inflation levels were controlled and that it had a low unemployment rate.

Najib attached the economic affairs ministry’s statement on the country’s socioeconomic status in his FB post. However, there was no direct reference to BN in any part of the statement.

It said the country grew from strength to strength thanks to Malaysia’s five-year plans, which led to an average growth of 6.2% between 1971 and 2017.

FMT checked the international trade and industry ministry’s statement on Jan 8 and found that it did not have any direct reference to BN but said 2017 recorded the best trade figures in a span of 13 years.