GEORGE TOWN – The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has failed to heed the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong concerning Budget 2021, which is driven by political agenda and does not address the people’s needs, said a PKR lawmaker.
Bayan Baru MP and PKR strategic planning director Sim Tze Tzin said PN is going against the king’s decree that all parties should not politicise Budget 2021.
“If amendments are made to make the budget more inclusive to all Malaysians and geared towards economic recovery instead of political patronage, I may support (it).
“Otherwise, I am unsure whether there is a need to support a monetary policy that does not benefit the country.”
He said PN needs to make at least 15 changes to next year's national budget to appease MPs.
Voting on Budget 2021 is slated in Parliament on November 26.
Speaking after visiting the Bayan Baru food court here, Sim said aside from the revival of the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) with a RM85.5 million allocation, there is also a 40% reduction in funds for the management of the agriculture sector.
It goes against the spirit of wanting to help farmers and fishermen stem the tide of food imports, which is now unstable because of disruptions to the supply chain, he said.
Sim added that the budget does not encompass everyone's needs, and reduces allocations for key areas, such as farming.
He hoped the management of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) can assure contributors that their retirement savings will not be compromised after allowing eligible members to withdraw up to RM10,000 to ease their financial burdens.
“EPF needs to explain how it is going to afford the payouts.” – The Vibes, November 21, 2020
