Economist moots reallocating funds from non-critical ministries

CORONAVIRUS | An economist has proposed that the government reallocate funds from non-critical federal ministries to the Health Ministry, among others, in order to face the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hafiz Noor Shams said the other option of raising the overall budget might be difficult because the current balance was already in peril and there were legal requirements in the way.

"I do not know which non-critical ministry should be de-funded, but there are indeed many programmes across the ministries that exist out of political considerations, but little social and economic functions.

"The reallocation may require parliamentary approval. So we may need emergency parliamentary sitting ahead of the May 2020 sitting that has already been scheduled," he wrote on his blog The Earth Inc.

Hafiz, who was once a special officer to then finance minister Lim Guan Eng, said although the present government might fear losing the vote in Parliament, he predicted that both sides will likely come as one during times of crisis.

"We can delay out political differences to after the crisis is over, when failures should be held accountable," he said.

Parliament is scheduled to reconvene on May 18.

The number of Covid-19 infections is expected to rise because many people congregated in supermarkets and bus stations on Monday and Tuesday prior to the imposition of the movement control order which bans non-essential personal travel from March 18 to 31.

Most businesses have to close during this period.

As of yesterday, two Malaysians have died due to Covid-19 and there has been 790 infections nationwide recorded.

The worst affected regions are the Klang Valley and Sabah.

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