YOURSAY | ‘Please bear with him. Stupidity is not a crime here…’

Langkawi MP: My salary not paid by people, it's gov't money

Ckl0001: The government itself has no money. It collects money from tax sources - for example, from companies and individuals - and then it must, responsibly, use the money it has collected to bring benefits to the people.

So, Langkawi MP Nawawi Ahmad, your salary originates from the rakyat. However, it's unfortunate for the rakyat that you are receiving your salary as you don't deserve it.

Nil: If you give your son RM1 million, that money no longer belongs to you. Your son has full control over it. He can use it as he thinks fit. It belongs to him.

However, the government's money is collected in the form of taxes, to be used on behalf of the people.

The government cannot use it as it pleases because although the money is in the hands of the government, the government does not own the money.

Nawawi, the government only holds the money in trust for the people. When the government pays you, it pays you on behalf of the people.

Hearty Malaysian: The Langkawi MP talks as if government money grows on the trees instead of through taxes collected from the people.

The civil servants, inclusive of elected representatives, are public servants and are paid by taxes collected.

BN MPs and ministers alike are increasingly talking like emperors instead of public servants. You are paid by us, Nawawi, so be humble and don't talk rubbish.

Appum: Here we have an MP who doesn't know where his salary comes from and how the government is supposed to work.

Next, he will tell us the government (Umno to be precise) owns this country, not the people.

Inworldnotof: With intellect, or rather lack of, and of such magnitude, it is no wonder he and his fellow chieftains have facilitated the ongoing slow-motion implosion of an entity that has gone beyond the point of no return.

He cannot connect the simple dots, what more 1MDB's convoluted cons and scams.

Anonymous 2362021442199789: This is another example of the calibre of our elected lawmakers.

With such utterly 'unqualified' simpletons as our leaders, is it any wonder that our country is regressing instead of progressing. It looks like only divine intervention can save us!

Chew Chin Keong: Going by his "intellectual logic", the government need not impose taxes. People need not pay taxes. The government can just print all the money it wants or requires.

For this, these smart alec MPs can then call it government’s money and not rakyat’s money.

Oxymoronictendencies: Of course, that's exactly how BN think. They fail to understand the fundamentals of democracy.

Their view is, BN is "elected" (I use the term loosely as the only reason that they were elected is because they maintain an obscene gerrymandering) to form the government, and the government collects money from all citizens and consumers.

But BN believes the government is there for the benefit of a few and to reward only those who vote for them. Clearly they have no comprehension that an elected government should govern for all citizens, regardless as to who they voted for.

Nawawi has just clearly demonstrated the mindset in BN. "The government is ours; and the money it raises from all citizens is ours, to do with as we see fit and to reward those who support us."

Anonymous #32557251: The government's money falls from the sky? This is our biggest problem - those who are in power have forgotten that they are just trustee and not the owner of the country.

Alicescat: Nawawi, where do you supposed the government got its funds from? Heaven? Hell? Donations from Arabian princes?

Or did your boss rub the magic lamp? Stupid is as stupid does. Sigh!

Waktamnoko: Please bear with him. Stupidity is not a crime here or anywhere else in the world.

Hopeless: Such arrogance. He's not stupid. The ones who are stupid beyond belief are those who will keep voting for him or his kind.

Putrajaya dismisses warning of credit rating downgrade

Dalvik: Thank you, Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah. We've been hearing similar stories that 1MDB was all okay, too.

And oh yes, research group Oxford Economics had yet to cover the story about the loan given to Pembinaan PFI, which the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) gave RM25 billion to. Everything still alright, right?

Benghazi: The government debt, which is at 54.5 percent, doesn't worry him. He should be ashamed when our neighbours are doing so much better.

And he should realise that there's not much breathing space left before the danger level is reached.

There's no doubt that our situation stems from the massive scandal involving 1MDB. The loans and debts of 1MDB are guaranteed by the government and that means the rakyat will have to bear the burden which might extend to the next generation not yet borne.

It is time to let the government know our displeasure by voting Amanah in the two upcoming by-elections.

Godfearing: If you add contingent liabilities (deliberately kept outside balance sheet to understate sovereign debt burden), public debt would amount to 69.5 percent of GDP, way above the 55 percent ceiling.

Ericlcc: The ballooning debt came under the watch of PM Najib Razak as finance minister and Irwan as the ministry’s secretary-general.

Both have a lot of explaining to do how this borrowing went out of control. Irwan himself scores an ‘F’ for fiscal policy and management, but an ‘A’ for boot licking.

Anthony Chan: When oil prices were dropping way below US$100 last year, this is the same man who insisted that Malaysia would not be affected.

Luckily, Irwan was not appointed the new Bank Negara governor.

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