DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has described Budget 2014 as “divisive” and said it did not lend credence to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s pledge to be moderate.

“Najib’s assurances at the Gerakan delegates’ conference yesterday that BN will uphold the principle of being moderate, progressive, centrist, inclusive and fair is just empty rhetoric that deceives no one.

“In other words, Budget 2014 is not about 1Malaysia or national reconciliation but instead continues BN’s 5D policy - divisive, discriminatory, deceit, debt and deficits,” he said in a press statement today.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, pointed out that his Pakatan Rakyat-ruled state had nothing to gain from the budget even though it was a promised a Mass Rapid Transit since 2007.

Furthermore, he said, funding for government-aided secondary schools were also absent.

“The Budget 2014 was also discriminatory in only providing funding for groups that supported BN in the last general election,” he said.

‘Spiralling debt’

Lim did not have a flattering review for the budget, calling it “deceitful” for suggesting that people would pay less tax with the introduction of the goods and services tax.

He also pointed out that the debt to gross domestic product ratio was nearing 55 percent and is expected to hit RM541 billion by the end of this year, from RM502 billion last year.

He added no new efforts to combat corruption were outlined in the budget.

“Clearly, the government is not serious about reducing the budget deficit when it wastes extra money received on white elephant projects like the RM5 billion 100-storey Menara Warisan.

 

“What is the savings of RM400 million from abolishing the 34sen sugar subsidy as compared to the RM5 billion spent on building Menara Warisan?” he said.

In a separate statement, Lim also announced the formation of two reconciliation committees to hammer out disagreements within the DAP.

“The first tasks of the two reconciliation committees shall relate to disputes that have arisen recently in Johor, Malacca and Kedah,” he said.