PN should have presented shadow budget, says analyst

PN should have presented shadow budget, says analyst

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst says Perikatan Nasional’s failure to present an alternative budget for 2025 suggests that the opposition coalition is in a state of disarray.

National Professors Council fellow Azmi Hassan said PN lost the opportunity to show the public it had the ability to better manage the nation’s finances, a key component in proving its ability to govern the nation.

Yesterday, Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari told FMT it was not in a position to draw up its own version of the budget as the opposition had no access to the government’s revenue figures and projections.

Fadhli also warned Pakatan Harapan against giving PN lessons as to how to put forward its ideas, after PKR’s Bayan Baru MP, Sim Tze Tzin, made the suggestion in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

Azmi said he found it “strange” that PN was unwilling to produce its own national budget, especially as it could draw on the experience of several former ministers in its leadership.

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Ternyata Dasar BR1M Yang Di Pelopori Najib Adalah Formula Terbaik

“This indicates some disarray within PN since they claim they can replace the unity government,” he told FMT.

“Although creating an alternative budget is not easy, PN has former ministers from the previous administration (who could have helped produce a shadow budget).”

In February 2023, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled the coalition’s shadow Cabinet, with Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin given the finance portfolio.

Another analyst, Lau Zhe Wei from International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM), said PN might not be interested in creating an alternative budget as such proposals are bound to be ignored by the government.

“But if the opposition has sufficient additional resources, what is wrong with creating an alternative budget?

“Even if the proposals will not be accepted by the government, it could at least spark discussions about PN’s plans if they were to govern the country,” he said.

Syaza Shukri, also from UIAM, agreed, saying the presentation of an alternative budget would help build the public’s trust in the opposition.

In making the suggestion on Tuesday, Sim pointed out that PH had unveiled an alternative budget between 2010 and 2017 when it was in opposition.

In its alternative 2018 budget, PH had promised to reinstate the fuel subsidy removed in December 2014 and to abolish all highway tolls.

Several countries have systems or practices similar to a shadow budget, where opposition parties or alternative political groups propose alternative budgets to contrast with the federal budget presented by the ruling party.

The practice, which is common in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and India, allows for opposition parties to articulate their fiscal policies and engage in debates about economic management and priorities.

Prime minister and finance minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled the 2025 budget last Friday with a total allocation of RM421 billion, marking the first time that the budget has exceeded RM400 billion.

Operational expenditure accounts for RM335 billion, or 79.6%, while RM86 billion has been allocated for development expenditure.