Salleh: Dr M’s criticism of Budget 2018 lacks coherence, consistency

(Bernama) – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s views on Budget 2018 lacks coherence and consistency, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.

“This is what happens when someone talks for the sake of talking but does not really have anything to say,” he said in his blog posting, last night.

Salleh also questioned Dr Mahathir for claiming that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s budget was merely meant to please the rakyat and make them happy.

“But then, is this not what a government must do, make the people happy? How long would a government that makes the people unhappy last?,” he added.

On Dr Mahathir’s dubiety on how the government was going to pay for the cost of running the country if all the government does was hand out benefits to the people, Salleh said, “But then, is this not what the Opposition is grumbling about: that the government does not look after the financial needs of the people and that the people are suffering under the Barisan Nasional government?”

“Then when the government takes care of the financial needs of the people in Budget 2018, Dr Mahathir says he does not know where the money is going to come from and complains that the government will have to borrow more money,” he said.

Salleh also questioned Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto that it wanted to abolish all toll charges throughout Malaysia and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), as well as many other forms of tax.

“If this is done how will the government pay for development? Then they say they can make back the money by reducing leakages and eliminating corruption?”

“How much are the so-called leakages and corruption? How did they come to the figure when they do not even know the details? Saying that the government will reduce taxes and then recover the lost taxes through savings is utter nonsense,” he added.