Second stimulus is too late, says Ku Li
Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has expressed his bewilderment at the delay in introducing the second stimulus package.
Speaking on satellite television channel Astro Awani tonight, he said that Parliament has been in session for four weeks but the tabling of the “mini-budget” has been delayed for political reasons.
“I do not know why the government has been delaying the second stimulus package. Parliament has been in sitting for four weeks but they are waiting because of a political agenda,” he said.
He said that “the people need the full support of the government” as soon as possible as many have already been laid off.
“We should reduce politicking and prioritise the interests of people instead of making them victims of political upheavals,” the Kelantan prince said.
He also warned that “commodity prices have been dropping” and if Malaysia does not look at it seriously as soon as possible, “we will carry a heavier burden.”
The tabling of the stimulus plan, which follows last year’s RM7 billion package, less than three weeks before Datuk Seri Najib Razak becomes Umno president and Prime Minister, has been seen by some quarters as a move to fully credit the Finance Minister as the man who engineered Malaysia's recovery plan from the current economic crisis.
Tengku Razaleigh said that while only RM10 billion was announced last week, many experts say that RM25-30 billion was necessary.
Should Najib offer that sort of package in Parliament tomorrow, it would reflect well on the Deputy Prime Minister’s sensitivity to economic conditions.
But Tengku Razaleigh doubts that Najib will be able to come up with the funds for a large package.
“He may have a problem getting funds as savings, such as the Employees’ Provident Fund and Tabung Haji, have already been borrowed by the government.
“This means you have to borrow from overseas, as it is not logical to tax people to get the funds,” he said.
The former Finance Minister also repeated his calls for unity governments to be formed at both federal and state levels.
“If we cross the political divide, it will increase cooperation,” he said, in reply to a question on whether Pakatan Rakyat state governments and the Barisan Nasional federal government could work seamlessly on economic activities.
He said that the “important thing is that the future of the people is safe, instead of politicking which is divisive.”
He had first mooted this idea last October, claiming that he had met with de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang to discuss the possibility.
He repeated his idea recently when it was brought up by Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
