Subsidies in 2014 to reach RM42 billion: Najib

(NST) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that next year’s subsidies will reach up to to RM42 billion while development expenditure will be RM49 billion.

“Is there any other country in the world that has this type of spending? No.”

“We have world class infrastructure. I have been to many countries and can say that Malaysia has one of the best,” he said during his speech at the 60th MCA annual general meeting here today.

Najib said the government by itself could not make the country into a world class one and constantly need the people’s cooperation and contribution.

“We are living in a real world, not a dream world like the Selangor state government,” he said, in reference to the recent salary hike for lawmakers in the state.

He said that even though the opposition alliance was ruling several states, they were at the same time increasing salary of their state assemblymen.

Najib pointed out that according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Malaysian economy was managed very well under Barisan Nasional.

“This government is not perfect but this government is willing to listen to the views of the people. This includes recent concerns over the assessment rates”, in regards to the Kuala Lumpur assessment hike.