BUDGET 2021 | Sabah PKR Youth information chief Razeef Rakimin called on MPs from the opposition bloc and the government to reject the 2021 Budget tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, calling it 'haphazard and recycled'.
Razeef, who described it as a "cincai" (sloppy) budget, claimed that the PN government was not serious in preparing the budget because it was recycling policies and not offering a clear plan to combat the economic impact of Covid-19.
"We need an efficient budget to help the people and restore the economy.
"If the opposition bloc is able to provide a better budget, why do we need to support the government budget which can be viewed as more beneficial to certain parties and not the people as a whole.
"This is not the time to play politics, but this is the time for us to give our best to the people and the country for the long term and not just an advantage for the first quarter of 2021," he said in a statement today.
He was most disappointed over the allocation of RM81 million was given to the government propaganda tool Special Affairs Department (Jasa) under Budget 2021.
He said that allocating so much to such a small department was not commensurate when compared to the one-off special allowance allocation for frontline workers of RM500 to 100,000 health workers.
Yesterday former minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said the allocation dwarfs the amount of money allocated to restoring dilapidated schools (RM58 million) and mental healthcare (RM24 million).
"Jasa has been revived. Prepare for a rain of cybertroopers," the Muar MP quipped on Twitter.
Razeef added that due to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country to the point of crippling the people's economy in this country, the country needs a long-term budget instead of giving one-off to the people.
Students neglected, says group
Meanwhile, the Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia expressed disappointment with the Ministry of Finance for neglecting the students in Budget 2021
Its president, Ahmad Farhan Rosli questioned the reduction in allocation for Higher Education Scholarships from RM170 million in 2020 to RM161.5 million in the 2021 budget.
"There is no incentive or special assistance for students from the entire allocation of RM14.4 billion to the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).
"In the difficult situation of students facing the Covid-19 epidemic, the government should consider providing one-off assistance worth RM300 through Higher Education Student Assistance (BPPT-Student Card) which was stopped in 2020," he said in a statement.
Ahmad Farhan said he still hopes that the budget will be revised for the sake of the rights and welfare of students, to ensure that they are not marginalised as most of them are facing very serious economic problems.
Comprehensive budget, says PAS Youth
Meanwhile, PAS Youth Council chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin said the budget presented by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz was very comprehensive with maximum benefit access for Malaysians.
Khairil also thanked the government for being willing to listen and accept PAS Youth's suggestions on the issue of unemployment and youth development.
"PAS Youth fully supports the 2021 Budget. However, to make this budget truly a unity budget, PAS Youth calls on parliamentarians to discuss maturity and health and put the interests of the people first, "he said.
The 2021 Budget worth RM322.5 billion is the largest in the country's history, but grassroots activists have expressed disappointment saying that fund allocations are not being properly targeted. - Mkini
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