ADOPT THE BUDGET
Chandra Muzaffar
Like many other citizens, I hope the Malaysian parliament
will adopt the 2021 Budget with a
comfortable margin. Among the reasons why it should, are the
following. One, the 2021
Budget is directly linked to one of the most severe crisis
that the nation has had face in its
entire history. By adopting the Budget our Members of
Parliament would be responding to
the challenge of the hour. Two, the Budget contains general
and specific proposals that deal
with the health crisis and the economic crisis that the
former has spawned. Support from the
people’s representatives for these measures is vital to
ensure their smooth implementation.
Three, since the budget’s primary preoccupation is with
vulnerable groups, they would be
gravely disappointed if the budget fails to garner
Parliamentary endorsement. It would
appear that the institution that represents them is not as
concerned as it should be with
their well-being. Four, the budget goes beyond the immediate
crises and seeks to address
challenges that are critical for the nation’s future such as
infrastructure development,
digitalization, industrialisation and food production. It is
only through an appreciation of
these challenges that parliament and the people would be
able to play a decisive role in
moulding Malaysia’s future. Five, in a period of great
uncertainty, a budget provides the
citizenry with a sense of direction. It therefore deserves
the support of all and sundry.
Of course, the budget has its limitations which is why the
government should remain open
to ideas and proposals from not only members of parliament
whatever their political
affiliation but also citizens from all walks of life. In the
last few weeks many useful
suggestions have emerged such as ways of reducing public
expenditure by jettisoning certain
construction projects, eliminating allocations that are not
essential and even trimming down
on roles and positions. One expenditure item which has
raised a lot of eyebrows is the 85
million ringgit alloted to JASA, a Special Affairs
Department under the Ministry of
Communications and Multimedia. It is perceived as a
mechanism for government
propaganda. Perhaps at a time like this, Jasa’s allocation
can be better utilised for more
urgent purposes connected with public health.
Some members of Parliament have also asked how the government
is going to finance the
biggest budget in our history with an outlay of RM 322.5
billion. While there is some
explanation in the budget itself, there is certainly a need
for further clarification, taking into
account various possible scenarios that will impact upon
public revenue in the coming year.
People are most conscious of the fact that our economy is in
the doldrums.
Two other concerns which have gained a great deal of public
attention are linked to the
KWSP (the Employees Provident Fund) on the one hand and a
moratorium on loans, on the
other. Both it must be stressed do not come within the ambit
of the budget. It is therefore
disingenuous of some MPs to argue that they will only
support the budget if their position
on the two issues is accommodated. Nonetheless, because KWSP
and the extension on the
moratorium have emerged as the cynosure of budget discourse,
the government has chosen
to respond. It is significant that while taking heed of the
public’s pleas, government leaders
have been resolute about maintaining professional norms.
Unfortunately, neither the government nor parliament has
given adequate attention to the
pathetic situation of two categories of people that has
surfaced in the course of the health
crisis. Inmates in many of our prisons have become victims
of Covid -19 partly because of the
parlous conditions in which they are detained. This requires
urgent attention just as the
housing and living conditions of many foreign workers have
increased their susceptibility to
the virus. In both instances we are reminded why humane
treatment of all our fellow beings
is a fundamental societal principle.
Finally, a section of civil society and various legislators
have also proposed that all legislators
at parliament and state levels, including of course
Ministers and Deputy Ministers take a
“pay cut”, of 20% of their salaries and allowances for a
period of time, say a year or so.
Though the total quantum would be modest, it would have a
huge psychological impact
upon our people as proof of the willingness of our elected
leaders to sacrifice a portion of
their income for the larger good of society. It will be
recalled that in the eighties and
nineties, in the midst of an economic crisis such a move was
made by our Ministers and
Deputy Ministers.
If our political leaders act in this manner, it is quite
conceivable that the top brass of our civil
and public services, the Judiciary and other public
institutions will follow suit. Our Rulers and
royal households would also want to set the right example.
The upper echelons of our GLCs
and GLICs will be persuaded to do their bit. Private sector
elites with their huge earnings will
also have to respond to the challenge.
Even if all these proposals are incorporated into the Budget,
there are some who argue that
the Budget has to be rejected because the government of the
day has no legal standing. Let
it be emphasised that the appointment of Tan Sri Muhyuddin
Yassin as Prime Minister on
the 1st of March 2020 by His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan
Agong was in accordance with
provisions of the Malaysian Constitution. When the then
Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir
Mohamad resigned, the King exercised his constitutional
right to choose a member of
parliament who he had ascertained commanded the support of
the majority of MPs and was
therefore qualified to be Prime Minister.
This argument about the legality of Muhyuddin’s position is
a camouflage for those who are
hell-bent on usurping the Prime Ministership. Personal
ambition, propelled by domestic and
foreign agendas, is what drives these individuals. Whatever
their rhetoric, they have no
commitment to the well-being of the people or the nation’s
interest.
Such crass selfishness at a time like this will be the ruin
of our nation.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar has been writing about Malaysian
politics and society since the early
seventies.
Kuala Lumpur.
23rd November 2020.
