Harapan moots equal constituency allocation via shadow budget

Pakatan Harapan, in its Alternative Budget 2023, proposed to provide equal constituency development fund (CDF) to all elected parliamentary representatives, regardless of their political affiliation.

Harapan said this should be incorporated under the Parliamentary Services Bill, which is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next month.

"Through this legislation, the allocation of funds should also be dispensed through Parliament instead of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)," read the newly released Harapan Budget 2023 Strategy Document.

Harapan also suggested the establishment of a parliamentary budget office (PBO) that provides all MPs with access to independent and objective advice on the estimated financial implications, or cost, of their policy and budget proposals to the legislature.

This will provide a level playing field in the policymaking process because access to costing and other analytical services are exclusively available to the government lawmakers, read the report.

These were among measures mooted by Harapan to empower the country's democracy.

"The nation faces the daunting challenge of navigating through unpredictable regional and global conditions, from great power rivalries to international supply chain disruptions amid the ongoing Russian- Ukraine war and continued strict zero-Covid-19 lockdowns in China."

"Shenanigans by clueless Barisan-Perikatan Nasional ministers complicated problems further as there was no clear policy leadership, direction and interventions to alleviate people’s burden when they needed it the most," read the report.

"To build a resilient Malaysia, we must set out the groundwork to underpin a solid democratic foundation, where voices of the many are not drowned out by the privileged few.

"At the same time, we should recognise the defining trends of the foreseeable future - food security, environmental management amid climate change, and an ageing population - and outline the appropriate policy responses to meet the challenges that emerge with these trends," read the report.

Among others proposed by Harapan in Alternative Budget 2023 are:

• A more gender-responsive budgeting to identify the gendered impact of major challenges such as food insecurity, environmental management amid climate change and an ageing population.

• Increase allocation for the Subsidi Sektor Pertanian to RM3.5 billion from the current RM2.5 billion.

• Increase subsidies for rice farmers to RM500 per metric tonne from RM360 per metric tonne and allocate a monthly aid of RM200 per farmer for a total period of six months as they await harvest.

• Introduce and incentivise vertical urban farming to increase food security in cities, including grants, concessions and/or seed funding for urban farmers, entrepreneurs, communities, and buildings to engage in urban farming.

• Increase capacity and capability of the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division to prevent, detect and manage future epidemics.

• Expand mySalam’s coverage for critical illnesses and hospitalisation to also include mental health assessment and care including counselling from B40s to include M40s.

• Allocation of RM300 million to deploy mobile care delivery units to every state constituency nationwide.

• Establish seed funding (RM10 million) to promote businesses that conduct home-and community-based care services as alternatives to institutional care.

• Allocate an additional RM2.5 billion on top of flood mitigation efforts as an assistance fund for flood victims of up to RM50,000 per affected household.

• Provide a RM1 billion matching grant on dedicated productivity solutions for SMEs to improve both labour productivity and capital utilisation efficiency.

• Consultation fees incurred by SMEs for the adoption of ESG practices are to be given double tax deductions.

• Address shortage of labour by streamlining the hiring process of foreign workers, replacing the pre-pandemic labour intake quota with a tiered pricing system.

• To boost tourism, airlines should be incentivised to bring in foreign tourists.

• To introduce visa-on-arrival / multiple entry visas for tourists from India and China.

• Tax rebates for domestic travel by Malaysians should be increased to RM5,000 instead of the current RM1,000 limit.

• To revert the MM2H programme criteria to the original one.

• Institutionalise the RM3 million yearly allocation to the National Athletes Welfare Foundation's (Yakeb).

• RM10,000 Digitalisation Grant to assist sports businesses to adopt digital tech to increase resilience against future disruptions.

• RM500 million grant for disbursement to oil palm smallholders to achieve much-needed productivity improvements.

• Provide more export incentives to encourage international trade, such as tax incentives for a triple deduction on expenditures related to business trips to promote exports.

• Further extend the Special Reinvestment Allowance (RA) from 15 years to 20 years.

• Increase the allocation for the Cradle Fund from RM20 million to RM50 million to strengthen the resilience of start-ups.

• Enact a Government Procurement Act and revamp defence procurement processes to safeguard against leakages, corruption and abuses of power.

• Compulsory auditing by the auditor-general for major defence procurement items.

• Special incentives of RM1,000 for 120,000 contributors of Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT).

• Provide RM30 million fund to encourage export of Sabah and Sarawak food produce and products to the Peninsula.

• Total development allocations to Sabah & Sarawak will make up 30 percent of the total development budget.

• Setting up a regulatory body to resolve issues involving gig riders and drivers, as well as to serve as the link among stakeholders in the industry.

• Establish a “Contract of Agreement” between workers in the gig economy and platform providers, which covers provisions to protect them against exploitation.

• Broader access to affordable housing - reintroduce RM3 billion fund to guarantee home financing for first-time home buyers to purchase affordable housing.

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