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PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said tonight that passing the 2021 federal budget by a narrow margin will do little to inspire confidence in the Perikatan Nasional government.
The PKR chairman said the budget, which he described as “fundamentally flawed,” reflected the narrow interests of the ruling government’s own political survival, rather than the real needs and well-being of the people.
Anwar said that the nation at this time needed a strategy to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic stronger and more vibrant.
But the government, he said, had “shown itself incapable of the task at hand”.
“The close passage of this bill in Parliament will do little to inspire confidence in the PN government. It will simply make it more susceptible to the personal interests of these politicians at the expense of the rakyat, ”the Port Dickson MP said in a statement.
Anwar went on to claim that the PN government would continue to use its political influence to preserve its power, often at the expense of the rakyat and the future of the country.
“We are going back to a period where the government ignores acceptable standards of transparency, governance and prudent management of funds.”
Earlier today, the 2021 budget was passed by a narrow margin with 111 yes, 108 no and one abstention.
The budget was released on November 6 and is the largest ever, with a record spending of RM322.5 billion next year, 2.5% more than this year. It seeks to boost activity in an economy heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anwar’s comments come minutes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the budget had shown that the decisions made by his government had taken into account the welfare, security and well-being of the rakyat, as well as the country’s economic recovery. .
Muhyiddin also said that MPs who had backed the budget recognized the importance of implementing programs to combat the pandemic and improve the lives of people, especially those of the B40 and M40 groups.
