The Dewan Rakyat seats the elected 222 Members of Parliament. Their duty is to legislate and to voice the rakyat’s wishes in the august house where the future of Malaysia is determined. Our MPs have the responsibility to debate, modify and eventually pass the annual Federal budget for Government to spend via a Supply Bill. This year, at RM 322.5 Billion, the Prime Minister presented the largest budget to ever be tabled.
There are two issues for us why this 2021 budget has failed in principal:
- The budget has been front and centre racial rather than Malaysian. The amount of monies allocated for institutions of a single race and religion is so overwhelmingly unbalanced that it reeks of a blatant and morally reprehensible racist agenda.
Have we not learned from what we have sown after 60 years? Our Nation is failing educationally, economically and from almost every perspective. We need to stop and change direction. We need to be more Malaysian and be more scientific and fair to every Malaysian regardless of race and religion.
We are not going to detail this further than what many economists and commentators have already said. For example, allocations for religious schools, assistance to sole bumiputra institutions, JAKIM, JASA and the likes, that goes into the billions in total. Some of which are utterly unproductive and their cutbacks would go a long way to help us out of our economic quagmire. - There is nothing in the Budget that shows any commitment by the Government towards really alleviating the problems of ordinary Malaysians in the real sense in this economic crisis except paying lip service to the idea.
Loan moratoriums only for B40 and small businesses until December will do nothing for them even for their near future well-being. The middle class and medium scale businesses which are engines of growth of any developing economy is left stranded without any help when they are the worst affected. We need longer term relief, not Banks that are making billions from our own capital which they are using to make obscene profits.
In this prolonged economic crisis, most of our private sector are taking pay cuts easily from 15% to 30% or even more with no recovery in sight, if they are not already retrenched. The Government on the other hand is rewarding civil servants with more money they don’t need or deserve, and our politicians with more posts in Cabinet and in GLCs.
No one in the bloated civil service is shouldering the burden of
this crisis. The tax paying private sector population is suffering on their own. They should be the ones to at least be getting a moratorium on all loan payments for the next twelve months until we see true economic recovery. The Banks can afford this cashflow crisis.
And what have we heard from our MPs, especially our now opposition, and specifically the Opposition leadership. Nothing! Except that he has the numbers. Do not ask us what or where those numbers are or come from. Nothing except, apparently managed to get a few concessions. Pray tell what earth-shattering concessions? That is party politics for you. The Rakyat be damned.
That party centric phenomenon was clearly illustrated on 26th November 2020 in the voting of the Budget. During the first reading of the Budget, the Opposition appeared “convincing” to vote down the “questionable” Budget.
But at the eleventh hour, the leader who claimed to have “strong, convincing and formidable support to form the government” instructed its members to refrain from slaying the Budget. Clearly, it was a U-turn. Even his own members were confused and furious.
Like a typical snake oil salesman, it was said that the approval of the Budget was necessary as to be consistent with advice from the Palace. Not to worry, there is still hope for a second bite at the cherry during the scrutiny of supply bills of the 27 Ministries at the committee stage. Yeah, sure.
We will see what changes with respect to the appalling lack of principles this Budget will be changed due to this non-action by the Opposition.
As of 4th December 2020, 11 Ministries have cleared their budget. It looks unconvincing that the Opposition will be able to block the budgets of the remaining 16 Ministries.
Please do not be mistaken or misunderstand. It is not about voting down of the Budget just for the sake of sending a message of no confidence. It is rather to show the ability of the politicians to say one thing and then do the opposite without conscience.
Can we then trust the words given by party politicians? What other choice do voters have?
Short of standing for election ourselves, put forward your chosen candidate instead.
Support Gerak Independent (GI). GI candidates go through a stringent vetting process to be true to type. Independent, no party allegiance, no race or religion polemics, and for the people. We the Rakyat must make this happen.
If you think it is difficult to get people to support this movement and vote for GI candidates it is incumbent upon YOU to get people around you to support it. Enough of complaining. Take back our future from self-serving politicians.
GI wants to plant this idea in people’s mind for the future of the nation and for future generations. The rakyat must make a change again in GE15 using their precious vote.
MAJU FOUNDATION
Date: 10 Dec 202