My quick take on the 2009 Budget is that it is a non-Budget.
Click on pix for enlarged version
The unkindest cut of all is that it does not benefit the ordinary man in the street but companies big-time.
Also, what is glaringly missing is that there’s absolutely ZERO PROVISION for the reduction in the price of petrol locally in tandem with the day-to-day drop in its price in the international market. It’s pretty obvious that only one who sleeps on his job is completely clueless that the price of petrol is the single most important factor influencing the prices of goods and services today.
This Budget has forgotten about the ordinary rakyat. It has forgotten how the last whopping petrol price increase had further burdened them by runaway prices when salaries have largely stagnated or slipped. Does it bother the Finance Minister that most rakyat have less food on the table for their families today and a growing number are going to bed on empty stomachs?
What is even more difficult to stomach is the ridiculous timing that there can be NO DEBATE on the Budget until about 2 months later, when most of the issues would probably have conveniently been forgotten or swept under the carpet, because Parliament would have been in recess come tomorrow!
This is BN for you. It does not have the rakyat at heart!
– Terjemahan oleh Lee Wee Tak – Ucapan ribuan terima kasih dari Wee Choo Keong –
Belanjawan 2009 Budget: Dibentangkan dalam tidur dan membosankan
Rumusan ringkas saya pada Belanjawan 2009 yang sebenarnya bukan suatu belanjawan
Langkah-langkah pengurangan nan dibentang tidak memanfaatkan orang biasa tetapi banyak menguntungkan syarikat-syarikat.
Apa yang jelas ialah langsung tidak ada cadangan pengurangan harga minyak di pasaran tempatan sejajar dengan penurunan harga minyak di pasaran dunia yang kini berlaku setiap hari. Sangatlah jelas beliau yang tidur pada masa jerja tidak faham langsung harga minyak adalah sebab terpenting dalam mempengaruhi harga barangan dan perkhidmatan hari ini.
Belanjawan ini terlupa rakyat. Ia terlupa bahawa kenaikan harga minyak besar lalu telah menyebabkan harga barang melonjat tinggi sementara taraf gaji kebanyakannya kekal ataupun dikurangkan (noa penterjemah: kecuali gaji kaki tangan kerajaan yang mungkin sumber undi yang penting). Adakah Menteri Kewangan bimbang padahal bekalan makanan untuk rumahtangga ramai rakyat biasa telah berkurang dan bilangan yang tidur kelaparan telah bertambah?
Apa yang lagi susah diterima adalah aturan masa di mana TIADA PERBAHASAN mengenai Belanjawan sehingga 2 bulan kemudian di mana kebanyakan isu mungkin telah dilupa atau ditutup kerana Parlimen berhenti bersidang mulai esok!
Inilah wajah BN. Tiada tempay dalam sanubarinya untuk rakyat jelata!
