YOURSAY | ‘I guess as Bob Dylan puts it, ‘The answer is blowing in the wind’.’

Dr M: Budget 2017 meaningless, Putrajaya has no money

Clever Voter: Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right. For every one ringgit, about 30 sen is used to maintain the bloated civil service. Development expenditure is funded from loans and the private sector.

Also, the majority who are outside the safety net have to live with less than four percent pay rise if lucky to cope with more than 20 percent rise in living costs.

The net effect is more loans, for some a second job, and those who are not-so-honest solicit bribes. That's what we get from this government.

Clearwater: There's a lot of truth in what Mahathir says; money being spent to bolster the image of a much-distrusted prime minister rather than put to better use for the people.

As for the 2017 Budget, I'm not expecting anything much for ordinary folk struggling to make ends meet.

Dont Just Talk: With all the corruption taking place around the country and 1MDB taking the prize money with US$3.5 billion allegedly stolen from the Malaysian people, followed by the Sabah Water Division with the project cost of RM1.4 billion but allocation was RM3.3 billion, how do we expect Putrajaya to find money for Budget 2017?

Anonymous 568201438363345: BN has allegedly bankrupted Malaysia. No remedies are in sight. Malaysia is heading towards a disaster.

Look around you. Look at the banking system. Look at the rising cost of living. Can you all not feel the hardship?

Businesses is shrinking at record levels. What does it take for Malaysians to finally wake up? Please look into the future and stop talking about the past. Somebody do something, please.

Lajib: In the private sector, if a company is not doing well financially, the chief executive officer (CEO) and chief finance officer (CFO) (equivalent to finance minister) must be held responsible for it. They may have to resign or take a pay cut.

And if the CEO is involved in any hanky-panky or related party transactions, the board of directors will conduct an investigation or domestic inquiry against the principal officer.

Bamboo: Despite Mahathir's faults during his time as prime minister, he knows stuff. Not like PM Najib Abdul Razak, who is allegedly clueless about anything except what colour of suits, ties, handkerchiefs are nice, what shoes are comfortable.

And of course, how to allegedly purloin public money undetected, in which he also failed since the 1MDB affair is now known all over the whole world.

P Dev Anand Pillai: This is what you call real economic language which the common man on the street can comprehend.

Mahathir is right, but what will the Malays, who continue to be committed to Umno, think? With a large pool of school-leavers and young graduates entering the job market every year, we are surely heading for tough times.

Vent: We must admit the economy was certainly up and running when the old fox was in charge in spite of his excesses.

The oomph has gone out of it now and all we are left with is a windbag. I guess as Bob Dylan puts it, “The answer is blowing in the wind”.

Who is being unfair to Muslims in Malaysia?

Vijay47: Commander S Thayaparan has written all that needs to be said about "how non-Muslims disturb Muslims", I can hardly add to that.

But just one question, commander - of what value is any oath, promise, or guarantee by PAS or for that matter, Umno?

Promises, especially when made by Najib and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, come cheaper by the dozen. The only assurance is that they would never be honoured.

Existential Turd: The authorities are cherry picking arguments to suit their needs. When their agenda is to sneakily turn Malaysia into an Islamic country, they say Islam is for all and Islam is for righteousness.

But when non-Muslims start complaining of encroachment, they demand apologies from them for insulting Islam. They say Islam is under threat. They protect alleged kidnappers in the name of protecting Islam. They give Islam a bad name.

SusahKes: As much I enjoy the intellectual discourse displayed in your article, I can't help but to think, every now and then, you do let your biasness creep in.

"Politicians from Abrahamic troika that needlessly muddy the religious waters here..." - well, have you considered how Hindu politicians are "muddying the water" in India, with their anti-conversion law? And the Buddhists are enacting same in Bhutan; the spread will also reach Nepal.

Nobody's muddying the water, except those who have the might - be they from Abrahamic troika or those from other branches. This has got nothing to do with the religions per se; but the men who use it as a tool for their own personal agenda.

Wild Stallion: SusahKes, I agree with your point and found the commander's swipe at Christian politicians (in Malaysia) a tad unfair.

You don't see Christian politicians like Baru Bian, Hannah Yeoh or Yeo Bee Yin expressing their faith in such a manner that infringes on other Malaysians' rights.

If anything, the Christians have been maligned, with being told to take down their church crosses, Bibles seized and yes, that incident with the al-Islam journalists.

Shovelnose: The uneducated can learn, ready to absorb, comprehend and rationalise. Thick-skulled ones refuse to discern, debate nor accept there could a difference of opinion nor accept other points of views.

Roar For Truth: When ‘hot dog’ has to be changed to ‘hot cat’ or ‘hot sausage’, no one can guarantee hudud will not affect non-Muslim Malaysians.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.