Alternative budget retains BR1M and PTPTN:
PAKATAN Harapan will retain the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) cash handouts and National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) if it comes to power in the next general election.
This is despite its previous criticism of the Government’s policies.
In a newly launched alternative Budget 2018, the Opposition said it will maintain BR1M, which has benefited those in need but would replace the method, by making it conditional upon recipients performing something positive instead of a direct handout.
As for PTPTN, Pakatan said it will restructure the loans by making their repayment on an income-contingent basis, beginning once their salaries exceed RM4,000 a month.
This move will take the pressure off many students and fresh graduates who are unlikely to obtain high-paying jobs early in their careers.
This will also reduce the number of students blacklisted by PTPTN, Pakatan said.
Pakatan also said it wants to eliminate the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and claims it could save more than RM20bil in tax revenue and bring back the Sales and Services Tax (SST).
Kelana Jaya PKR MP Wong Chen, who heads the Pakatan budget committee, said the implementation may take a year in order to prepare and educate both consumers and businesses.
Pakatan president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was present, said the Opposition also promised to abolish tolls by taking over toll concessionaires stage by stage as it aims to reduce the cost of transportation.
Apart from that, Pakatan also aims to introduce free tertiary education at qualified public universities.
“We would also increase oil royalty from 5% to 20% to be given to oil-producing states Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak,” Wong said.
Two Pakatan Harapan leaders have insisted that their budget is not a populist one.
Wong said “the budget is very realistic. It is not a populist budget, but it is a transition budget”.
Serdang DAP MP Dr Ong Kian Ming also described the budget as a “progressive” one in Pakatan’s bid to “save the country”.
The alternative Budget 2018 was presented by Pakatan component members PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.