The PM himself had whipped up expectations of Sabahans especially the PBS delegates at their general assembly by asking Sabahans to wait for Friday’s Budget announcement.
On a national level, the PM cum Finance Minister missed the opportunity to put the national economy on a stronger footing by announcing a balanced Budget or a reduction of the operating expenditure of RM217.7 billion while only RM46.5 billion was for development or to put in place concrete plans to boost the disposable incomes of the lower income groups.
All three proposals would have brought about a better international credit rating and at the same time increase the well-being of the people especially the lower income groups.
Giving of handouts is not the right approach and there is no need to fish for votes for election season is over. Such handouts will only lead to bigger expectations and eventually greater dependency, especially among the rural poor. The government should have invested more money in boosting up the income earning capacity of the poor.
Giving of RM75 million in water tanks is no way to treat the rural voters who voted to retain the Umno/BN federal government. If not for the 25 BN MPs in Sarawak, the Budget would have been presented by a different Finance Minister.
It would have been better to spend RM500 million on 20 water treatment plants of RM25 million each to provide clean piped water in rural Sarawak given the many big dams there.
Instead, some of the items will bring about an instantaneous price increase including withdrawal of sugar subsidies. What was more laughable was the reason bordering on absurdity that the subsidy cut was required to reduce diabetes in Malaysians. It is an undisputed medical fact that diabetes is not caused by sugar alone and a lower sugar intake alone does not reduce the diabetic rate.
Back to Sabah, stop-gap measures is not going to resolve the systemic problems of higher costs of living and high unemployment.
An announcement of the much called for and much awaited abolishment of cabotage policy would have created a bigger impact in reduction of costs compared to the RM331 million to continue the price uniformity programme and subsidies including transport cost and RM30 million for an additional 60 Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) to help reduce the prices of daily necessities.
Both the federal and Sabah governments should undertake a study on the impact of the KRIM in Sabah as there are complaints that the KRIM has affected the small sundry and provision shops in Sabah and many will eventually close down.
An allocation of RM2 to RM3 billion development expenditure for Sabah and Sarawak is a slap on the status of the equal partnership of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia.
Part of this allocation, RM500 million is for upgrading of the Pan Borneo Highway. This is a disgrace and totally unacceptable. For the record, RM400 million was announced for the 33km. Sibu-Kapit road. How far can RM500 million do for the Pan Borneo Highway?
Recently, the Sabah JKR Director lamented that due to the backlog or disregard of Sabah’s requests, RM2 billion was needed for urgent road repairs in Sabah and another RM700 million was needed to urgently repair and upgrade 65 bridges in Sabah. Yet, there is not even a mention of any allocation in Budget 2014 and not the right way to treat Sabah which contributed 22 out of 25 MPs that help kept the Umno/BN federal government in power.
As for the GST, both the federal and Sabah governments need to re-assess the imposition of GST in Sabah. If the federal government can have implement 1-country 2-laws on the “Allah” issue which indirectly is a recognition of the 1-Country 2-System, the federal government can exempt Sabah and Sarawak from the GST scheduled in 2015, at least for 3-5 years
Whilst the PM continue to disregard the importance of Sabah and Sarawak and committing political hara-kiri in the process, it is high time for the Sabah and Sarawak governments to re-assess their support of the Umno/BN federal government.
Perhaps, a withdrawal of support and change of the federal government may bring about a better 2015 Budget for Sabah and Sarawak and a shot in the arm for both local economies and a better outlook and way of life for Sabahans and Sarawakians.
in view of the RM264.2 billion to be spent in the 2014 Budget, it is important to ensure that strong financial management, proper internal controls, good governance and integrity are practised by those responsible for the implementation of the Budget proposals.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia recognises the importance of good governance. Our civil service must be committed to practising, promoting and sustaining a strong culture of good governance in accordance with public expectations. Strong financial management requires close monitoring, effective internal controls and auditing.
ReplyDeleteThis is necessary to ensure that the shortcomings revealed in the 2012 Auditor-General's Report won't recur. It is also a must for the government to set up a high-powered committee, headed by the chief secretary to the government, to ensure public funds are properly utilised and that there won't be a recurrence of issues like misuse of funds and lack of transparency.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed integrity management unit in each ministry is the right step. Competent people must be appointed, including professionals from the private sector.
ReplyDeleteTiap tahun pembangkang bentang bajet, tak sedar yang dia tu pengalah dan kita ni pemenang. Masih perasan tak habis-habis.Apa sekalipun, yang penting bajet tidak ada kesan kepada ekonomi negara apatah lagi ekonomi dunia seperti yang Anwar mahu balacinya percaya. Ia lebih kepada beberapa helaian kertas dengan ayat-ayat yang sebenarnya biasa, tapi di bunga-bungakan dengan sengaja supaya nampak macam hebat dan lain dari yang lain.
ReplyDeleteSebetulnya bajet itu dibentangkan pembangkang sebab nak tunjuk kepada rakyat bahawa mereka ini tahu apa yang rakyat belum tahu. Senang nanti kalau ada persamaan dalam bajet sebenar yang bakal dibentangkan Perdana Menteri, mereka akan kata Perdana Menteri ceduk idea mereka.
ReplyDeleteAtas sebab yang sama kenapa dalam hal bajet ini, sering kita lihat pembangkang yang bentang dulu. Dalam lain-lain hal seperti pengumuman calon pilihanraya contohnya, pembangkang akan umum kemudian pulak. Semua ini ada strategi dan motif politik tersendiri, bukan saja-saja buat.
ReplyDeleteHakikatnya, bajet kerajaan bukan senang-senang boleh tukar (kononnya tiru pembangkang) beberapa hari sebelum dibentangkan. Ini perkara serius tau bukan boleh main-main sebab ia ada kesan pada banyak perkara, pasaran saham dan turun naik ekonomi umpamanya.
ReplyDeleteSedangkan bajet pembangkang itu apa? Nothing, hanya nak buat havoc tak tentu pasal. Pun dah tahu macam itu, ada juga yang jadi bodoh dengan mengulas bajet yang entah apa-apa, dipetik dari sumber yang tak kita tahu datang dari mana.
ReplyDeleteDek rendahnya taraf bajet pembangkang ini, ia hanya dibincangkan setakat 3 orang di rumah MB Selangor, mungkin dengan pembantu-pembantu sekalilah. Anyway, macamlah 3 ekor tu hebat sangat pasal ekonomi pun.
ReplyDeleteBercakap tentang persamaan ini, ia sebetulnya bukanlah sesuatu yang pelik pun sebab macai-macai Anwar ada ramai dalam kerajaan amnya dan Kementerian Kewangan khasnya. Tak payah sebut yang pangkat tinggilah, budak pejabat yang tolong buat salinan pun, ada yang berpotensi salur maklumat kepada Anwar.
ReplyDeleteMemanipulasi kakitangan awam (atau sesiapa for that matter) ini, bukan baru bagi Anwar Ibrahim. Budak jambunya, Rafizi Ramli pernah memperalatkan kerani Public Bank untuk dapatkan statement bank syarikat NFC. Akhirnya kakitangan rendah tersebut dibuang kerja dan kini mungkin jadi pegawai Rafizi di Parlimen dan di penjara besok (bila disabitkan kesalahan dibawah BAFIA).
ReplyDeletekalau nak puaskan hati semua memang sukar.JK ni lebih banyak bercakap dari mnelakukan.
ReplyDeleteSamada bajet ni terbaik atau sebaliknya, kita lihat saja hasilnya nanti.
ReplyDeleteSabah received investments totalling RM2.84 billion in the oil and gas sector up to July this year, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah.
ReplyDeleteThe Minister of Industrial Development said the State received many inquiries from investors keen on the sector. Investor interest in Sabah has been encouraging.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012, Sabah recorded total investments of RM5.03 billion and was placed third compared to other states in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteRaymond said that so far the government had established the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Parks in Lahad Datu and Sandakan, Oil & Gas Industrial Park in Sipitang (SOGIP) and Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP).
ReplyDelete