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The adage “be careful what you wish for” exists for a reason, even if some of us don’t understand it. It is a simple warning to consider the consequences of what could happen if we do not get what we desperately want.
This was the advice offered by Aesop, a slave and storyteller who was believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. C., and whose life was immortalized in the Fables of Aesop, a collection of stories that impart moral values.
The book may have been considered children’s reading, but it also contained life lessons that, unsurprisingly, have conveniently crossed our minds.
Many of us have an idea of what we want, but we haven’t considered how our lives might be affected if we get it.
So here’s the point. Many Malaysians hope to see the 2021 budget scrapped by Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Nov 26).
They would include parliamentarians who wanted to see the Prime Minister defeated. Failing to get the Dewan Rakyat to pass the budget amounts to a vote of no confidence in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Members of the opposition and government deputies who do not have positions in our oversized cabinet will likely join the trip.
They may be on opposite sides of the bench, but they share a common goal: to return to government as ministers. And this is not because they have an undying love for the country or the people.
Then there are those who are duped in Muhyiddin by what has been called a “back door government”, where many Malaysians view the administration as illegitimate.
But the “credit” for that goes to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who opened the door for Muhyiddin after he stepped down as prime minister.
If we use the backdoor government analogy, then Sabah Warisan President Tan Sri Shafie Apdal was equally guilty when he toppled the Barisan Nasional government in 2018 by convincing seven Barisan Nasional assemblymen to defect.
It was a classic backdoor state government. It is strange because the same Malaysians and political parties that condemned the party jump, applauded the collapse of the Barisan state government under Tan Sri Musa Aman.
So in Malaysia our political compass changes according to our feelings and loyalty. In fact, many of us are guilty of moving goalposts at our convenience.
We are strongly opposed to corruption, for example, but if an opposition figure is arrested and charged, then the charges have to be “trumped up charges” or that the amount of money is “too small compared to what is in it. power”.
Of course, it doesn’t help that there is a deficit of trust in the government and the institutions of the establishment. When there are inconsistencies and double standards in the rule of law, people lose faith.
The 2021 budget evokes a sense of injustice in which minorities feel excluded, so many are openly expressing their discontent.
Obviously, these complaints need to be heard and addressed to show that Budget 2021 is for all Malaysians and not just one race.
But consider the scenario that the 2021 budget is rejected. The consequences could be quite disastrous for average Malaysians. However, don’t shed a tear for the politicians.
To shed more light on the hypothetical situation, I sought the opinion of the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance, Tan Sri Mohd, Sheriff Mohd Kassim, a highly respected economist.
Sheriff is a co-founder of the eminent Group of 25, made up of influential and moderate Malaysians, and has always been a critical but reasonable figure.
“The price of Parliament not passing the budget, because the opposition voted against it, will be quite high for the economy.
“How? It will confirm to the world that Malaysia is politically unstable. Foreign direct investment will be discouraged.
“Local investors will prefer to wait and see. Capital flight will shake the financial market. With the funds leaving the country, the ringgit will be under pressure.
“A weakened ringgit, for example RM5 at US $ 1, will create inflationary pressures on the prices of imported goods. The higher import costs will be passed on to local production and sales, including homegrown products sold at pass malam.
“In the financial market, it will lead to higher interest costs, making the costs of doing business more expensive.
“In the end, more jobs will be lost than due to Covid-19. The poor will suffer more than the rich, ”he shared in a text message.
It’s always the same story of the poor taking the short end of the stick, and it doesn’t even matter who’s in charge.
Parliamentarians have the right to examine and question the allocations awarded to various ministries and agencies. They should, as that is exactly what we want them to do, so no blank checks are handed out to the government blindly.
For example, why should MPs approve RM85mil for the revival of the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa) without specific details on how it will benefit Malaysians?
The Finance Ministry will need to re-examine and make amendments, as even if Dewan Rakyat approves it, the 2021 budget still has to go to the Dewan Negara.
There is nothing wrong with reducing the amount allocated to certain institutions because the money will not be disbursed in one lump sum.
Many government agencies have yet to see the full amount of money advertised for them last year! This is how the wheels of bureaucracy turn.
But a defeat of the 2021 Budget will bring dire consequences. Malaysia cannot hold general elections because the spread of Covid-19 will be devastating.
Just look at the United States and Myanmar. Yes, South Korea and Singapore have done a much better job with their elections, but do any of us dare to attest that we will be able to uphold the disciplinary standards of these two Asian countries?
In the recent Sabah state elections, politicians broke all SOPs and, like it or not, the state elections led many Sabahans to become infected and die. It was a forced state election.
So we really don’t need to demand a general election that will cost us RM1.2bil.
A rejection of the Budget also amounts to snubbing the advice of Yang di-Pertuan Agong following the chorus of support for Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Basically, it’s this: do we want to reject Budget 2021 because it’s incredibly disgusting in its entirety or is it simply because it’s from the Muyhiddin Administration? We need to be honest about this.
Malaysia has a huge problem on its hands. We need to jump-start the economy, maintain and create jobs, raise funds for those at the forefront, and make sure we have access to vaccines.
Let’s put aside our differences and political allegiances and get the budget passed for the good of the nation.
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