SINGAPORE -- The Malaysian government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has revealed that the national debt is far higher than figures published by the previous administration, topping 1 trillion ringgit ($251 billion).
The larger debt figure, which was officially 686.8 billion ringgit at the end of 2017, has led to speculation that former Prime Minister Najib Razak's government altered records to hide the extent of corruption. The revelation has shaken investor trust and the fiscal turmoil could scare foreign money away.
