'Will Wan Azizah complain about Selangor's budget deficit too?'

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has been challenged to raise Selangor's budget deficit during the Selangor state assembly sitting.

The challenge was made by Sungai Panjang assemblyperson Budiman Mohd Zohdi, in view of Wan Azizah's criticism against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for tabling a deficit budget for the federal government.

Wan Azizah is the Permatang Pauh MP and Kajang assemblyperson. Budiman is also the Sungai Besar MP.

Budiman pointed out that Selangor's projected deficit was 26 percent of the total amount allocated for 2018, while it was only 14 percent for Putrajaya's Budget 2018.

Budiman said it was strange for the PKR-led Selangor government to do so as their lawmakers had criticised Najib over Putrajaya's budget deficit.

"So now the Selangor government is doing the same. In fact, in terms of percentages, the deficit for Selangor is higher than the deficit for the federal government.

"Will Wan Azizah, as the Kajang lawmaker, raise this during the debate (in the state legislative assembly) next week?

"Clearly, they had shot themselves in the foot with their criticisms of Putrajaya's budget deficit. Clearly, they are hypocrites," said Budiman in a statement last night.

Yesterday, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Azmin Ali tabled a RM3.12 billion budget for 2018 with a projected deficit of RM870 million, down from RM900 million for this year.

Azmin had argued that despite tabling a deficit budget in the last three years, they have ended up with a surplus or balanced budget when the books were finally closed.

Furthermore, the Selangor government has RM3.28 billion in reserves, allowing it to spend without being reliant on debt.

On a separate matter, Budiman criticised the Selangor administration for not instituting a free education policy in their budget, although this was promised by Harapan's alternative budget for the federal government.

"Indirectly, it shows that this promise is just a fantasy which is too hard to implement," he said.- Mkini