KUALA LUMPUR: No meeting was held with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic).

“This is just a story, it is a lie. I didn’t meet him,” said the former premier.

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He said this when commenting on rumours that a meeting had taken place recently.

“I met him before he became PM. I gave him some advice, but I didn’t meet him after he became PM,” he added.

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Dr Mahathir added that a prime minister needs a mindset to solve problems.

He said Ismail Sabri lacks “experience” and “ideas” when asked his view on the prime minister.

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“He has no experience and has no idea. When we become PM, we need to have a mindset which can solve problems,” he said at a press conference after launching Parti Berjasa Malaysia’s Impian Nasional 2040.

“There are many problems now. There are economic, political, social and foreign relations problems,” he added.

Citing an example, Dr Mahathir, who is also the chairman of Parti Pejuang Tanah Air and the newly formed movement, Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), claimed that foreign envoys and investors are finding it difficult to meet with government representatives.

“The world looks down on us because the leaders now only want money and don’t know how to work,” he claimed.

Parti Berjasa recently announced a collaboration with several other parties under the GTA coalition.