In view of the recalibrated Budget 2016 due to be presented on Jan 28 , PAS’ Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man believes that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must first lead by example.

The PAS deputy president said the rakyat are hoping that the premier would take drastic measures in reducing government expenditures first.

“The prime minister must lead by example by putting an end to his, as well as his family’s extravagant lifestyle , which has been the talk among the rakyat,” said Tuan Ibrahim in a statement last night.

Agreeing that this year’s budget must be tweaked, Tuan Ibrahim however commented that the rakyat could not help but be shocked over news on the suspension of Public Service Department (JPA) scholarships.

“Due to bad finance management, especially in the past decade, the government now really has to rely on the goods and services tax (GST) as a source of the country’s income after the fall of oil prices,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Tuan Ibrahim said the rakyat also harbour hope that the prime minister would cut the PM Department’s expenditures as well as reducing the cabinet size.

“The prime minister must advise the cabinet to be wise in their expenditure.”

He also urged Najib to terminate the posts of his special advisers - whose posts are like that of ministers’, including their four to eight assistants.

Among them are religious adviser to the prime minister Abdullah Md Zin, special adviser to the prime minister on the northern economic region Zainal Abidin Osman, social and cultural affairs adviser Rais Yatim, special envoy to China Ong Ka Ting, prime minister’s special envoy to East Asia Tiong King Sing, special envoy to India and South Asia S Samy Vellu, women’s affairs adviser Shahrizat Jalil and adviser to the prime minister Shaziman Abu Mansor.

Putrajaya is struggling with shrinking revenue as the Brent crude oil price has fallen to a 12-year low, settling at US$27.78 per barrel.

This is in contrast to a high of US$114.81 per barrel in 2014.

Najib - who had previously announced that the Budget 2016 would need to be revised - said this is to adjust for the falling revenue, and will see government expenditures optimised.