2016 Budget is a situation where the UMNO-Barisan Nasional regime has sown the wind of financial impropriety and now the whole nation is reaping the whirlwind of austerity.
The various abuses, financial mismanagement and scandals, not least 1MDB, which was not addressed at all by the Prime Minister, has come to haunt Malaysians today.
Overall, the 2016 Budget is an austerity budget which shrinks the resources for key sectors such as education, skills development, industry development, public transport sector, welfare, women’s health, youth etc.
Together, these form an important lifeline for ordinary Malaysians especially in view of the current slow economy coupled with our high indebtedness, high youth unemployment and overall underemployment, low women’s labour force participation rate, and the new unpredictable forces facing our local market under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Giving handouts and temporary tax cut measures while cutting down spending on structural components which will affect the lives of ordinary Malaysians is akin to giving painkiller to a cancer patient while denying him cancer treatment.
Some examples of such spending cut in the 2016 Budget are, notably:
- The Ministry of Higher Education faced an enormous budget cut of RM2.4 billion, with resources to all public varsities drastically reduced by RM1.4 billion despite projected increase in enrolment in most of these institutions.
- Under the Human Resources Ministry, budget for the Skill Development Fund Corporation (Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran) which provides skills training loans, was reduced over 67% from RM15.3 million to mere RM5 million although the number of applicants is expected to increase from around 7400 in 2015 to 8,300 in 2016.
- Under the Human Resources Ministry as well, budget for an important component to enforce labour law, deal with workers’ complaints, establish harmonious industrial relation and to assist in job search was slashed about 24% for the operation in West Malaysia although the budget was increased for Sabah and Sarawak. Overall for the whole country, the allocation for this component was reduced by RM14 million or 14%.
- Under the International Trade and Industry Ministry, key industrial and trade support agencies such as MIDA, MPC, MATRADE, and SME Corp all received a cut in supply totaling RM104.8 million with MATRADE receiving almost 44% budget cut. MATRADE’s role includes promoting and supporting Malaysia’s export sector.
- Under the Youth and Sports Ministry, youth development and youth economic development budgets were slashed 28% and 24% respectively.
- Under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, women’s health were totally set aside with a 100% cut in resources for HPV vaccination and mammogram programme which already faced 90% cut last year – these programmes were meant to detect and control the two deadliest diseases among women; breast cancer and cervical cancer.
While these lifeline sectors, which will affect jobs, the market, and welfare of ordinary Malaysians, faced budget cut, the Prime Minister’s Department (PMO) will have an additional RM1.1 billion next year. In other words, the PMO is taking a larger share than anyone else from the government’s new cash cow, our GST (Goods and Services Tax) money. And within the PMO, once again billions of Ringgit were being allocated to what looked like “pork barrel” funds to be distributed through the sole discretion of the Prime Minister.
All MPs have the duty to vote down such atrocious Budget
In times like this, fiscal discipline is to be commended as both the federal government and ordinary Malaysians alike have maxed out our “credit card” with high indebtedness at all levels. However, in any austerity measure, priority is crucial. Yet the 2016 Budget only demonstrates the Prime Minister continual apathy towards the sufferings of ordinary Malaysians and the future of our country; he gave himself a bigger share while he cuts our lifeline. This is outright atrocious.
Thus, once again, I call on my fellow Members of Parliament to do our duty for all Malaysians, vote down this Budget to express our no confidence against the Prime Minister to lead this country any further.