Opposition’s budget ‘promises people things it cannot fulfil’

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional leaders and members of parliament have criticised Pakatan Harapan’s so-called alternative budget, which they said was intended to hoodwink the public.

Some of the ideas presented by the opposition, they noted, were based on successful formulas and initiatives introduced by the BN government, including the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the opposition was promising people things which they would never be able to fulfil.

Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the opposition, which criticised the GST, was now coming up with a similar tax system with a different name.

“Previously they did not support the GST, but now, they plan to implement taxes and BR1M as well,” he said.

Pakatan Harapan had on Wednesday unveiled its alternative budget for 2017, titled “Deciding the future”.

They put forward a budget with three fiscal policy highlights, reducing spending in the Prime Minister’s Department by RM10 billion, eliminating corruption and wastage, and implementing an anti-bribery system and spending more on development expenditure.

The 39-page alternative budget also listed 11 policy highlights, ranging from increasing wages to providing housing for the public.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who launched the alternative budget, had called on the government to adopt suggestions in the alternative budget.

Social activist Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim said the opposition’s newfound support for the public policies discredited them further as they had vociferously condemned the measures in the past.

“People remember statements made in the past. And they have become immune to these flip-flops and that’s not a good thing for the coalition as they will become less and less responsive,” he said.

Tunku Aziz said Pakatan Harapan was singing to a new tune as it could see the benefits the GST had brought to the Malaysian economy.

“It’s quite obvious that they are saying what the public wants to hear to gain brownie points,” he said.