States run by Pakatan Rakyat will not take the same path as the BN in coming up with an election budget, regardless of the possibility that snap polls could be held this year.

NONE PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said the state governments will not be distracted from their job of running the administration and fulfilling promises of progress for both the states and their people.

"At this point, we will continue with the work we have set out to do. We won't do things like Umno and BN," he told a press conference after chairing the first Buku Jingga Economic Consultation meeting between Pakatan leaders and stakeholders today.

Anwar also brushed aside the significance of claims that the BN intends to hand out RM100,000 to each of its MPs to increase the number of constituency-level projects, in a bid to woo voters.

The Malaysian Insider had reported that deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin had promised the additional funds during a meeting with 100 BN parliamentarians last week.

“This RM100,000 will not change the attitude of the voters... the mood now is to change the entire system which has been perpetuated by BN and Umno,” Anwar said.

Anwar noted that today’s meeting was the first of several that Pakatan expects to hold ahead of a move to table its first alternative national budget for 2012.

He was sparse on the details, saying only that the 2012 budget proposals would be in line with Pakatan’s agenda of merakyatkan ekonomi or returning economic benefits to the people.

Anwar indicated that part of the strategy would look at ways to remove monopolies on strategic resources such as food supply which, he said, has done nothing to help the poor break out of the poverty trap.

“... we want to look at how we can cut down our reliance on the current monopoly by privatised companies that get hundreds of millions (of ringgit) in profit, while many of the farmers, who are clearly mostly Malay, remain under the poverty line,” he said.

azlan He also said that, while Pakatan agrees with the need to revamp the subsidy system, this should not be done in a way that only increases the cost of living of Malaysians – particularly those who are already struggling to cope.

“It should go to those who need it. Don’t give it to the rich... we should give it direct to the consumer and not to any middleman who will charge a commission,” he said.

‘Cabbies need help’

Asked about the Land Public Transport Commission’s (Spad) objection to taxi drivers raising their grouses with Pakatan, Anwar put it down to mere showboating by Umno.

azlan He said Spad chairperson Syed Hamid Albar should have done something to help the taxi drivers in the first place instead of simply telling them not to talk to Pakatan.

“This is the problem with Umno leaders, they want us to take the initiative and then start making some noise. These taxi drivers have raised their grouses with minister after minister, but these permits are given out to Umno leaders.

“The taxi drivers have nowhere else to turn, so they came to us... if he (Syed Hamid) wants to help, then help lah . Cancel the permits given out to those undeserving rich people and give the permits to those who actually do the work.”

Yesterday, Syed Hamid had urged taxi drivers not to “politicise” their grouses by raising their issues with the opposition.

His response came almost immediately after Pakatan pledged to stop the practice of issuing taxi permits en-bloc to large companies and instead give individual permits to drivers, should it take over the federal government in the next general election.

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