Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 21): Former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is sceptical that the offerings under Budget 2017 would be achievable as Malaysia is in a weakened financial position, with deteriorating income.

Muhyiddin, who had walked out of Parliament with opposition MPs when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak was presenting the Budget 2017 earlier today, said Najib should have explained the method of financing of the Budget.

“On the surface, Budget 2017 seems to make a lot of offerings, but the main issue here is that the nation’s source of income is deteriorating. How is he going to settle the country's piling debts?” Muhyiddin asked.

Muhyiddin, who is also the member of parliament for Pagoh, went on to say that an explanation on how Budget 2017 will be financed is necessary to give the public confidence that the contents presented are feasible.

“I have been in government before. During the tabling [of the Budget] in Parliament, a huge amount of money is always promised to ministries. But when applications are made, the budgeted amount may not be given,” he said.

Muhyiddin believes such a scenario would likely happen again, because Malaysia’s revenue is not sufficient to bear more substantial borrowings to finance these promises.

“Another important issue is corruption, a subject matter that was not being addressed at all just now,” he said.

Further, he said many ministries were not provided the total amount of budget allocated to them. "This will be a big issue, not to mention that the economic outlook for 2017 is likely to worsen,” he added.

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