MP: Will Budget 2023 see light of day amid dissolution speculation?

After a week of intense speculation about the early dissolution of Parliament, Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin questioned whether Budget 2023, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, will even see the light of day.

“Or will (Budget 2023) just be sweet nothings that BN intend to dangle in front of voters for the upcoming election?” Chan (above) asked in a statement today.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had yesterday said the new government would have to retable a fresh budget in the event a general election is called before the newly tabled budget is passed in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Chan said it is heartening to see Budget 2023 include proposals from Pakatan Harapan’s engagement with the Finance Ministry as well as measures outlined in the coalition’s budget strategy document.

For example, the tax reduction for MSMEs from 17 percent to 15 percent on the first taxable RM100,000 is welcomed, though he notes it is not as extensive as their proposal.

Other Harapan proposals which made it into the budget include the increase in housing credit guarantee as well as an allocation provided to improve bus services and networks in areas beyond Klang Valley.

Close, but not quite

Once again, he noted that the allocation for the latter is much lower at RM180 million compared to Harapan’s proposed RM500 million.

At the same time, Chan said it is disheartening to see the absence of any measures to enhance Sabah and Sarawak’s industrial capacities.

He said Harapan had proposed RM1 billion worth of specific investment tax incentives and grants for the relocation of all types of industries, particularly the manufacturing sector, to Sabah and Sarawak.

“This is to increase GDP, employment and productivity of Sabah and Sarawak, and reduce the incidence of labour transmigration from those regions,” he said.

There was also no mention of the Government Procurement Act (GPA), the establishment of a Parliamentary Budget Office via the Parliamentary Services Act, and measures to make elections more accessible, especially for Sabah and Sarawak out-of-constituency voters, he said.

This shows that meaningful reforms have taken a back seat, he added.

“Enacting the GPA is particularly essential to ensure we do not see another mega scandal in the near future such as the infamous 1MDB, littoral combat ships (LCS), and SRC scandals,” Chan said.

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