YOURSAY | ‘To burden the people with more taxes should be the last option.’

PM laments tearing hair over 'most difficult budget'

Ferdtan: PM Najib Razak lamented that Petronas’ dividends, which dropped from RM26 billion to RM9 billion, would make it difficult for him to plan next year’s Budget. Thus the solution to make a balanced budget, not a deficit one, was to increase tolls recently.

Obviously, it was the easier to tax the poor Malaysians who are still already suffering from rising cost due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

To burden the people with more taxes should be the last option. What's about cost-cutting in all ministries?

Unspin: Najib, the reason why you find it tough is because the finance minister’s position is too big for your shoes.

You are a career politician who does not have any understanding how the economic wheel turns. You wasted a lot of money such as BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia) because of your simplistic and irresponsible “I help you, you help me” philosophy.

You are surrounded by sycophants who tell you that you are smart but in actuality, you are not. By the way, can you please explain what you did with your RM2.6 billion donation?

Odin Tajué: Did they say you read economics at Nottingham University? It doesn't seem they've taught you that well, have they, now?

I mean, here I am untutored even in basic economics taught to the Form 6 Arts students in school, but I can tell you how to solve your economics problem with considerable ease. Here's how.

Get the US$1.83 billion back from your friend and adviser Jho Low and his sidekicks. The lolly wasn't supposed to have gone to them.

Next, fish the US$2.393 billion flying from 1MDB to Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) but has got stuck somewhere in the air between Malaysia and the UAE. Et voilà! You have US$4.223 billion.

At an exchange rate of RM4.18 to the dollar, you already have RM17.65 billion. That's more than the RM15 billion you need. Très très simple, non, mon ami?

And it's high time you did national service. You know that small matter of US$650 million you allegedly sent back to your bank in Singapore? Get that back and add it into the national coffers.

Malaysia will have yet more money so that you won't need to raise tolls and such. What? Uh-oh, you can't do that. They have frozen your account there, haven't they?

Quigonbond: PM, if you listen to any one of the opposition leaders who have a hand in drafting the Pakatan budget, you know your answers.

Cut down on corruption, cut down on discretionary operational budget, cut down on the number of parliamentary secretaries, deputy ministers and ministers that you have in a overbloated cabinet, start putting projects on public tender, and finally cough up the RM2.6 billion, Malaysia should be able to save quite a bit for schools, electricity infrastructure, water supply infrastructure, and perhaps even high-speed Internet throughout Malaysia.

Also, toll hike means more money going to highway concessionaires, and less spending power, less taxes paid by businesses. You are your own undoing. You are Malaysia's undoing. Tearing your hair out should be your last concern.

Apacerita : Since you took over as PM, the rakyat has been tearing their hair over their household budget, all thanks to you and your wife's and Jho Low's lavish lifestyle.

We are also tearing our hair over how in the world could your stepson afford to foot that expensive Hollywood production and that your daughter's wedding was decadently opulent.

We are tearing our hairs over why you can still hold your head high in front of other international leaders when everybody knows that you have RM2.6 billion in your private account.

We are tearing our hair out over why there are so many Umno racists out there harassing the non-Malays and yet you say you don't condone racism. We wish we could tear your hair out, too.

Oh Ya?: Stop plundering the country's oil revenue, which belongs to the rakyat. Learn from Norway which put all its oil revenue into a sovereign fund reporting to Parliament and managed and invested by independent and professional fund managers.

Only a certain percentage of the investment returns goes to the state coffers whereas its principal (amount) is preserved for the future generations.

MfM: I suggest lower income tax and raise GST further. It’s time for the rural folks and businesses hiding profits to cough up the cash.

Enough of them getting free rides from the wage earners who have to pay a stupid amount of taxes. But then again, if the RM42 billion from 1MDB were around, you wouldn't have to worry about Petronas reducing dividend payments.

Petronas has no choice as oil prices are down, they can't pay the same amount.

Justine Gow : Can a cat be trusted to roam freely in a shop selling fish? Can we trust letting someone like Najib to handle billions of ringgit?

I wonder how much taxpayers' money he and the self-proclaimed FLOM (First Lady of Malaysia) had used to burn jet fuel for unnecessary overseas trips in recent years.

He should start by slashing the budget for the PM’s Office and the so-called FLOM activities, if he wishes to endear himself to the majority of the people in this country.

Better still, he should step down instead of whining about how difficult it is to plan the Budget.

Alicescat: Hello, it would not have been a difficult budget if your administration had done a better job at managing the country's finances.

As it is, you blame everybody but yourself and make the rakyat pay for your mismanagement.

GE14NOW!: Here's a possible solution - you inject the RM2.6 billion into the economy and then you open up all your accounts to let the people of the country see that you have not siphoned off more of the country's money into your own accounts.

You could also resign as that would bring about confidence in the market.

But honestly, I am in two minds - perhaps in the long-term interest of the country you should stay around longer so that we can throw all of you, the whole of Umno, lock, stock and barrel, out of government forever. Then the country can really recover.

Anonymous 2305141436452229: Or perhaps you should ask your generous Middle Eastern donor for another RM2.6 billion.

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