KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 ― The government and the Opposition should form a national economic council and work hand-in-hand to tackle the country’s economic issues and reach a common objective ― to improve Malaysia’s economy, says Umno Youth Strategic Director Wan Agyl Wan Hassan.
He said the council should oversee the policy-making by the Harapan government and be given the capacity to advise or criticise in a close-door manner.
“If the government formulates policies and the Opposition just keeps ‘attacking’, that is not healthy and sometimes these people will do it for certain reasons, maybe political, but this council should be formed with the target to boost the country’s economy.
“So, although the members will also include those from the Opposition, it should be purely about how we paint the picture of the country’s economy,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of a dialogue titled “2019 Budget: Shared Prosperity” yesterday.
Wan Agyl said due to its (the proposed council) close door concept, council members can challenge any idea given by other members or they can even debate the ideas before an agreement is reached it is finalised as a policy.
“Only then will we have solid policies because it comes from well, they are not really opposition but experts on the economy. People like Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, who used to handle the country’s largest fund management ― Permodalan Nasional Bhd and Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, the Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Bhd,” he explained.
Next, Wan Agyl, who is also the Umno Overseas Club Chairman, proposed the establishment of a youth economic council, consisting young leaders who will be future of the country.
“The future belongs to us, so whatever the senior leaders have done or suggest, we need to be able to have a say and take part in the decision making process.
“With this mixture I think we will have a good economic plan, hopefully,” he added.
Earlier, during the hour-long dialogue, Wan Agyl commented that the 2019 Budget was good, but not good enough, as there are no elements of shared prosperity.
There was “no excitement” in the budget, he said of the 2019 Budget that received an allocation of RM314.5 billion.
He said the Budget was based just on oil prices, which was now fluctuating and currently trading below US$65 per barrel.
“We are not getting more income now as oil prices are declining. How are we going to buffer our economy since there are no more revenue from the goods and services tax. And, the sales and services tax is not bringing in much?”
He stressed that the budget was made to address the elitist instead of the “rubber tappers” (B40) and no assistance was extended to the middle income group.
Wan Agyl suggested that the Harapan government tax the wealthy and also second, third and fourth house buyers. ― Bernama
