Shafie: How many job opportunities has 1MDB created?

KUALA LUMPUR - A former Umno minister has questioned the number of jobs 1MDB has generated, suggesting sarcastically that only Arul Kanda Kandasamy, its CEO, was gainfully employed.

“We were told 1MDB is a good investment. What is the return on investment. I only see Arul Kanda is employed,” Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) said when debating Budget 2017 at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He went on to compare the state investment arm with Proton, claiming that despite the national car company having recorded losses, many Malaysians were still employed there.

The former rural and regional development minister also raised the development imbalance between Sabah, Sarawak with Peninsula.

He said despite being rich in natural resources such as oil and palm oil, East Malaysians remain poor.

Shafie said there was a lot of palm oil in Sabah but the downstream production was in Peninsula.

“That is why a lot of youths from Sabah and Sarawak come to Peninsula to work.”

“People in Sabah and Sarawak are not asking for railroads. All we want is a road for us to use.”

Shafie also questioned the need to spend so much money in budget allocations despite a slowing economy.

He said the government should be lowering their expenditure and spending money where it was necessary
Prime Minister Najib Razak on Oct 21 announced that Budget 2017 will cost the government RM260.8 billion – 3.4 per cent higher than the revised Budget 2016.