Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(Oct 23): Disappointed with Budget 2016, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said today it lacked reforms, adding that the prime minister failed to seize the opportunity to redeem himself against allegations of financial scandals.

She also said the budget focused on the Sarawak elections.

“This is clear from the incentives given like the building of longhouses, the exemption of tolls. This was quite shocking.

“While we welcome this, we need to ask if this can be maintained for years to come,” she said, in reference to the toll waiver.

Nurul Izzah also said that the people needed to realise that they had to pressure the government to resolve the main issues of corruption and abuse of power by the administration, as well as address cost of living issues.

Najib, she added, failed to redeem himself against various allegations.

“To me, it is a lost opportunity.

“We are forced to face more burdens with the currency fall and country’s credibility will eventually have to be answered and shouldered by the people,” the Lembah Pantai MP said.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the 3.1% deficit was not achievable, as there would usually be a supplementary budget later.

She also said 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the biggest scandal in the country, was not addressed and remained unresolved.

When asked about Najib’s comment when tabling the budget that  the opposition supported the goods and services tax, she said that the prime minister did not read their alternative budget properly.

“He (Najib) didn’t read it properly. We know that all the GST instruments are already in place, so if we stop it suddenly, it could be seen as irresponsible.

“So we made the GST zero-rated,” she told reporters after the tabling of the budget. – The Malaysian Insider

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