REACTIONS TO BUDGET 2013: Too sweet, PM failed to tackle corruption

Stanley Thai, Group Managing Drector, Supermax Corporation

The PM has delivered as anticipated an Election Budget with special focus on certain groups to gain more votes for the upcoming election. The focus were largely mainly on youth where these new voters are mainly on the opposition camp.

For the R&D area, we do hope that government to include incentives on automation technology and technologies which could provide higher productivity and efficiency on the manufacturing sector. Incentives in the form of pioneer status and double tax exemption should be included.

Corruption becomes an endemic and widespread in Malaysia. We do hope that the government is serious in combating corruption across all levels instead of selective prosecution. Reduction of Corruption will certainly effectively reduce the costs of doing business in Malaysia and shall put Glove Industry remain globally competitive.

Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader & PKR MP for Permatang Pauh

The announcements of handouts to general Malaysians is just a small dosage for the elections but the basic structural problem of the country, where the rich cronies and their family members amass millions of dollars of profits through improper means ― that is left intact

That is our problem ― because the profits amassed by the rich, in the billions, should be fairly distributed to those in the middle to lower income categories.

Now, all you do is feed titbits to these groups but you do not touch the massive monopolies that have reaped billions from the country.

Lim Kit Siang, DAP adviser & MP for Ipoh Timur

Goodies galore in 2013 Budget as Najib could only think of votes 24 by 7 but unforgettable to Malaysians is Najib's desperate bid to save his PMship

Tony Pua, DAP MP for PJ Utara

The budget demonstrates no political will on the part of the Federal Government to make the necessary structural changes to the way we manage our budget.  We see a decline in the proportion of funds spent on development expenditure. We also do not see a serious effort to tackle federal government debt, both “official” and “hidden”.

The 2013 Budget reads like a repeat of prior year budgets, using the same formula without taking into consideration the changing circumstances and increasing economic challenges we face today.

Nurul Izzah, PKR MP for Lembah Pantai

Shockd tht PR MPs were blocked frm bringing in our personal copies of BelanjawanPR2013! Wht is this!If you're so confident of urs,let us be!

Dzulkefly Ahmad, PAS MP for Kuala Selangor

RM300 mil for 3G phones bet age 21-35 yrs! Seronok nyyyyya! Kata Tun macam 'vote-buying'... hehe

Ibrahim Suffian, director of Merdeka Centre

It's an election budget, mainly due to the sheer size of dash payments to different sections of the population, including the focus on agriculture, where the BN has its support base.

However, it might make some people unhappy, especially the tax-paying middle class who are not getting much from the budget. The tax reduction does not cover many people, who will continue to pay tax without getting much relief.

However, the government did address key issues such as transportation in major cities. But it's surprising that Johor Baru was not mentioned for this, given its size. Maybe the BN feels it's a safe area (in terms of votes) - or it is a strategy to make people vote for them.