How will Najib narrow the fiscal deficit ahead of the general election while dishing out the ‘goodies’ especially to rural voters? What about allocations for healthcare, low-income housing and universities?
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Total government debt as of end-June 2017 stood at RM685.1 billion or 50.9% of the GDP.
Of this amount, 96.7% or RM662.4 billion was domestic debt (49.2% of GDP) while 3.3% or RM22.7 billion (1.7% of GDP) was offshore loans.
How will this government deliver upon its many budget promises, when it has not shown how it will increase revenue? This is not revealed anywhere in the Najib’s budget.
Penang CM Lim GE received the thumbs up from backbenchers when he announced, for the first time since it was launched in 2009, a 30% hike for the annual senior citizens’ cash award. The amount will be up from RM100 to RM130, with a total of RM6 million allocated for 2018. For the first time in Penang, the state government is issuing an ‘I Love Penang’ card, a smart card for all Penangites. The card can be used to access various social amenities and benefits provided by the state government. He also announced that RM15 million has been allocated for… Read more »
Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today thanked Prime Minister Najib for sharing the success story of chicken seller Wan Azizah Wan Salleh during the tabling of Budget 2018. “Thank you Pekan MP for the Kak Wan story and taking the time to invite her to the Dewan. Congratulations to Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia on its success in producing a successful woman entrepreneur,” said Dr Wan Azizah in her opening speech today as the floor is open to debate the budget 2018. She reminded Parliament of how the other Kak Wan’s success came about, saying it was due to a programme initiated… Read more »
@Russel, “Mr Scheiss Hope to hear your commentary on Malaysia’s competitive position in IT industry since no much update from Multimedia Super Corridor likely because Najib do not favour this Mahathir’s legacy, just like Proton.” As of itself, MSC Malaysia has had some success in helping to nurture and develop a number of successful Malaysian ICT entrepreneurs, some of whom have expanded overseas – no Malaysian “Googles” or “Facebooks”. IMHO, Malaysian does not have the all round ecosystem to support the development, sustenance and growth of startups which can become globally dominant Internet giants such as Google and Facebook, so… Read more »
Thanks for your value-added comment.
It’s a pleasure and I’m glad you find it useful.. Irish journalist Eamonn Fingleton who has been resident in Japan wrote a book entitled:- “In Praise of Hard Industries: Why Manufacturing, Not the Information Economy, Is the key to Future Prosperity” https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-395-89968-7 And here he is again in 2016 https://www.amazon.com/Praise-Hard-Industries-Manufacturing-Information/dp/0395899680 http://www.fingleton.net/inpraiseofhard-industries/ Fingleton basically argues that manufacturing industries provide employment for people with middle level education, such as high school qualifications at decent, liveable wages. Also, by “manufacturing”, Fingleton means advanced manufacturing which involves much intellectual input such as R&D activities and not simple assembly work. However, even when assembly industries… Read more »
BUDGET GULA GULA UNTUK PILIHAN RAYA
Sweets for kampung folks indeed.
Najib knows how to get their support.
What a waste of money, throwing money to the Penang lang.
First, a bigger airport would mean for … from China would visit and pollute Penang. A small airport brought tons of … this week to MBI event. Imagine a bigger airport. The island would be full of ….
Secondly, incentives to medical tourism. So to knock down Peel Avenue is now ok because we are to promote medical tourism. More Indon …. would flood the island.
Need more money to expand Penang airport as currently too congested. Also to improve security of the airport. Expect more Qatar people coming in on direct flight. Must promote more beer festival to encourage westerners.
As for budget 2018, I am not a Malay so nothing fancy for me. I am working in Singapore so 2% income tax rebate not applicable. Maybe cheaper comics since no GST.
Why pg forum and ah pek don’t protest about airport expansion? More tourists create demand on pg limited resources and environment. Maybe they are greedy too.
Basically a budget to benefit directly civil servants, penghulus (to influence rural ignorant folks), farmers, fishermen and Imans (to propagate Umno’s version of Islam) who are all fixed depositors of BN-Umno votes in PRU14. Chinese folks be known that only in principle approval is given to build 10 new SJKC schools (no time line defined) and no funding commited or approved, so MCA will as usual ask the Chinese community to donate and get money from doing charity events. This is happening while billions are given to JAKIM. Remember Chinese contribute the most in income tax and all the sin… Read more »
84% on operating expense, only 16% on development expense. No wonder 2020 vision has to be extended by another 30 years (6 more terms for BN?) via TN50 to achieve developed nation status.
The country will remain stagnant and ringgit will never rise since no real development is happening while the bloated civil service is maintained to burden the nation financially for years to come.
Fiscal deficit will not be narrowed when BN overspend and wasted on unnecessary projects with huge leakage, and supplementary budget will be tabled again as usual, thus more borrowings.
MIC president Dr S. Subramaniam said that allocations in Budget 2018 is crucial to carry out the targets set in Najib’s Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB).
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/20563/
Indians who have been in Malaysia before 1957 will be given citizenship.
Penang Institute (not Penang Forum) said that by spending a huge chunk on the civil service (the government setting aside 34% of its total operating expenditure or 28.2% of the total budget on emolument for civil servants) in Budget 2018, Putrajaya failed to recognise the need to reform the sector for sustainability.
With only RM46 billion being allocated for development expenditure and with literally hardly any stimulus announced that can create economic multipliers for Malaysia, Malaysia may continue to suffer further in 2018. I wonder if the government is really aware that many companies big and small here are really suffering? Already several Giant hypermarkets are closing for good.
A vision of a bigger Penang airport with … from PRC and Indon coming is horrendous
PRC Chinese bring in cash, but must have AliPay facility to tap their cash. Nothing horrendous.
Thousands of Chinese tourists, said to be members of MBI Group, were having a shopping spree at M Mall in Penang Times Square.
The five-day shopping carnival organised by the group saw the members spending their loyalty reward points at the mall on groceries, household products and other items.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/10/29/chinese-tourists-swarm-mall-bus-loads-of-visitors-throng-mbi-groups-shopping-centre/#iaIqGIB23ibkT2rU.99
Pg forum and ah pek do not want development? There is no more land to build roads for cars which pg langs are buying. In the past pg lang sing daisy and bicycles built for two. Then pg lang boon siew introduces kapchai. Then no looking back. Ah pek get 4wds with 8 wheels for on and off road. The road increases is slower than vehicles. Of course roads get bottle neck and drain the productivity. But pg lang no complain when they are stuck in the traffic for hours. Either they work 2 hours less or 2 hours more… Read more »
So little for development because most money used up to feed 1.6 million civil servants and hundred of thousands of pensioners, despite so much privatisationin the past. No wonder Ringgit is suffering from … dysfunction.
RM12 billion allocation for PM office!
Part of it allocation for ‘engineer’ trolls, ‘engineer’ bloggers, ‘padan muka’-‘engineer’ commenters.
A b. waste of national coffer for MO1 defence.
Mote money for Jasa to pay for BN cybertroopers too.
Budget for PM office = GE14 election budget?
EC care to comment?
For propaganda and getting BN cybertroopers to impact BN appearance.
And may I add. I also welcome Pakatan’s alternative budget, which is not all that different from Najib’s budget, except that Pakatan’s leans more favourably towards the people, whilst Najib’s is more business friendly, though the two budgets do not differ very much, apart from Pakatan’s proposal to abolish GST and raise the minimum wage. “Pakatan proposes RM258.52 billion alternative budget, end to GST” https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/19980/ Besides abolishing GST, I do not see how Pakatan proposes to reduce prices of goods and services which have been increasing since even before the introduction of GST, especially due to the weakened ringgit, the… Read more »
BN can always increase the GST rate after winning next GE if short of money to pay BR1M and loan interest. I believe it will be 7% GST by 2019. So vote carefully.
Maybe if BN wins, they may increase GST but to stop that Pakatan has to wn and abolish GST.
The questions is that is Pakatan wins and abolishes GST will that arrest and reverse rising prices, which are due to other factors besides GST. GST is just one factor, what about the others.
No doubt the Budget 2018 contains many populist goodies but even though they may not be enough for the people, still I would not oppose such measures which provide some benefit to the people. Instead, I would demand more for the rakyat and if anything has been left out, I would demand for it, irrespective of whether the government would concede to my demands. For example, whilst I welcome BR1M, which is means tested anyway and given to those who genuinely qualify as low income earners based upon their personal bank account or bank accounts, the amounts paid out are… Read more »
Issues related to energy and transport: (a) half-baked administrators (b) nominal, self-congrajulatory, me-too initiatives and regulations (c) corruption, facilitated by the fork-tongued, developed countries (d) manipulation of the issue by the major industries that will be badly affected (e) the dogma of intellectual property, defended even in the face of climate change. If electric cars take off and the users all charge them at night, the pattern of electricity generation would have to change. One or 2 countries are considering battery swaps. Even the percentage of bio-diesel in diesel the gomen is advocating damages engines, according to a statement by… Read more »
Having covered Malaysia’s ICT industry for Malaysian newspapers, magazines and websites for over 20 years, I wholeheartedly agree with points a), b), c) and d) and e) above. a) and b) are pretty obvious to me. As for capitalist bandaids, how do you convince people to embrace the measures required to address issues of green house gases and climate change, let alone the huge amount of consumer goods such as smartphones which they buy just because some new model has come out with some new features or minor incremental enhancements over the old model which still works fine, just to… Read more »
Surprise at your grouses. Car parking are not under Adun or Mp but under traffic laws. Adun to issue summons?
Easy throw everything to Adun. Then tell Michael cheng or mca. Can make noise at Mppp but do not know mppj? Or complain to central gomen polisi?
Mr Scheiss
Hope to hear your commentary on Malaysia’s competitive position in IT industry since no much update from Multimedia Super Corridor likely because Najib do not favour this Mahathir’s legacy, just like Proton.
Other than the abolishment of 6% Gst on books, the entire “bajet” is of no interest to me. But hey, shops that sells books are rare and are closing down. And it is terrible to continue the BR1M,why not the BR1M goes to social welfare that deals with the really poor and deserving. As written earlier regarding eco vehicles and charging stations,the federal govt have nothing to offer and is not prepared. Pangkor is to be a semi Duty Free Zone ? Short of a 100% duty free. 400 million for R&D , wah…Malaysia going to be a world player… Read more »
High income nation with 7 million people depending on BR1M and possibly KR1M 2.0? This is the irony of BN vision.
A special distribution of 1.5 billion Amanah Saham 1Malaysia units will be reserved for the Indian community. Each investor is limited to 30,000 units.
Is this the best MIC could bargain for the Indians?
How many poor Indians who already have difficulty making ends meet will invest? Only those rich MIC and MyPPP folks will stand to gain. Anil and Rajraman can qualify.
MIC man to mum: ‘I’ll get a job for your daughter if she sleeps with me’
Read more at https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/400294#mayOeBZ53LLjY9CP.99
A gimmick for Indians?
Not gimmick for Mr A and Mr R to get guaranteed 6% annual return!
The great MIC hoax
https://m.malaysiakini.com/columns/400018