KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Budget 2020 is not innovative as it is not inclusive of all Malaysians, Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs have claimed.
Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed that Putrajaya will have a hard time hitting the target for Budget 2020 as the economic growth projection of 4.8 per cent and inflation projection of just 2 per cent are irrational.
“The truth is the growth rate will be reduced. It might not reach 4.8 per cent.
“I also want to question on major numbers said by the finance minister, among them that the inflation rate valued at only 2 per cent, this year they said 1 per cent.
“When we asked the consumers including housewife no one believes the inflation rate to be 1 or 2 per cent,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby after the Budget speech by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Meanwhile, Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the failure to implement election promises is the reason why PH is suffering a confidence crisis among Malaysians.
“There are many things that were promised in the last year’s Budget were not implemented, now they are making new promises.
“Implement the past promises first, then you could gain people’s confidence,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Budget this time is not “innovative” at all and does not really help low- and middle-income earners.
Wee gave the example of the MCA-owned Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), and their reduced allocation.
“Only RM1 million allocated for Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. What is this?
“Last time, RM5.5 million allocated for development, now it has been reduced to RM1 million? During the previous government, for 50 years we received RM1.35 billion for the matching grant. But, now not a single sen given to TAR UC,” he said
Sembrong MP and former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein questioned the defence budget, saying he wants to know how the allocation will be spent.
“I am not worried on the amount. I am worried about what will they do with that amount. The defence minister said to wait until the White Paper, they ask us to wait from January and now they say wait until November.
“I want to say to the defence minister that terrorists will not wait for his White Paper,” he said.
