Guan Eng: No Unity Budget if Perikatan rejects Pakatan’s fiscal measures to save jobs, economy

(MMO) – There will not be a Unity Budget if the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration rejects the fiscal measures suggested by Pakatan Harapan (PH) to save jobs and the economy, cautioned DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

In a statement today, Lim listed six fiscal measures, as recommended by PH, that the PN administration should adopt for a Unity Budget 2021.

However, Lim also stressed that any consultation process that leads to a Unity Budget 2021 is not an expression of PH’s support for the legitimacy of the PN administration but rather of the Royal decree that rejected the prime minister’s bid to call a state of emergency.

“DAP reiterates that this Unity Budget is crucial in upholding the royal decree rejecting an emergency proclamation for the country, avoid additional any requests for an emergency and also avoid snap general elections, which will only worsen Covid-19 infections. The Unity Budget is not equivalent to the so-called unity government as speculated.

“PH has clearly stated that this budget consultative process is not an expression of support or acceptance of the political and moral legitimacy of the present PN federal government. If any of the key six measures proposed by PH are rejected, then there will be no Unity Budget that can work to benefit the nation, our national economy and the rakyat,” said Lim.

PH’s proposed six fiscal measures are as follows:

1. Increase Health Ministry resources for Covid-19 and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) with special allocation to tackle the Covid crisis in Sabah;
2. Expand social protection, safety net and welfare payments for the vulnerable and unemployed by increasing monthly welfare aid to RM1,000 as promised by the prime minister in Sandakan on August 30 costing RM12 billion until the end of the Covid crisis;
3. Bank loan moratorium extension till March 31, 2021 costing RM6.4 billion;
4. Wage subsidy to be continued till March 31, 2021 and create 600,000 jobs as per Malaysia@Work scheme offering incentives over two years for employers and employees costing RM13 billion;
5. Increase in education spending to ensure education continuity; and
6. Development expenditure on two key projects, namely, the National Fiberisation Connectivity Plan (NFCP) and upgrading water infrastructure for Selangor, Kelantan and Pahang.