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COMMENT | Come October 27, there will be yet another budget that will determine how billions of ringgit will be spent in 2018.

Whether the money will be used productively to bring the country forward, or spiral into a black hole depends on how the budget is designed.

With the election coming, we are “confident” of one thing. There will be a lot more excitement in the air, when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also Finance Minister, starts throwing all sorts of goodies around.

Soon, people will forget about the goods and services tax (GST), because they have their BR1M money to spend again. Even with a RM2,400 salary, it is a lot of money to have an extra RM400, but for the rich, this is equivalent to just a few meals for one in a posh restaurant. For the poor, it is not even enough for a month’s groceries.

BR1M is like throwing crumbs. Malaysians have short memories. They will forget about the hardships that they have gone through when they have the BR1M money in their pockets.

Numbers that don’t add up

With all the promises, some 1.6 million civil servants will also get to enjoy another big pay raise and there will be fat bonuses, too. The pensioners will also get some crumbs to make them happy.

They should take whatever they can take when it is given, but their gratefulness should be to the people whose money that has actually come from...

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