Interview | While local headlines may suggest that a number of China-financed mega projects are now cancelled following Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's talks with the Chinese leadership, things are not as simple as it seems.

Mahathir, in his first interview after returning from China, told Malaysiakini that what he had done was to set the principle on how to move forward but whether the project will be cancelled, deferred or resolved through other means had yet to be established.

Mahathir also reiterated his frustration at the previous BN government for entering into what he believed was unfair agreements for the projects, including disbursing payments according to a fixed time frame instead of work progress.

"It would look as if the people who went there to negotiate with the Chinese were very stupid. They didn't know what is meant by agreements and contracts and all that," he said.