2022 Budget is clearly and unequivocally unfair to non-Malays

Lim Guan Eng

DAP urges Melaka voters to come out and vote for candidates that serve all Malaysians regardless of race, religion and background. The future state government and elected state government must be inclusive and not discriminatory.

The BN Melaka state government has demonstrated that it is a divisive government as well as practice policies that favour cronies at the expense of the rakyat. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s concept of Keluarga Malaysia cannot be mere lip service but must be followed by action and policies that represent all Malaysians.

Unfortunately, it is difficult for Ismail to advise the Melaka state government to be representative of all communities when his 2022 Budget is clearly and unequivocally unfair to the non-Malay communities. DAP does not oppose any allocation given to non-bumis or Malaysians but is against the pathetic Budget allocations given to non-bumis amounting to less than 0.1% of the largest Budget ever of RM331 billion.

For non-Malays comprising 30% of the population, to receive 0.1% of the Budget allocation has created unhappiness and dissatisfaction even amongst Malays and bumis. Looking at it another way, the government has announced the Budget 2022’s allocation for the bumiputera community of RM11.4 billion, with the non-bumiputera communities receiving about RM300 million. This works out to about RM577 per bumiputera, RM75 per Indian and RM15 per Chinese. Is this the fairness and justice in the government and Ismail’s Keluarga Malaysia?

Melaka voters should take this opportunity to reject BN or PN candidates adopting an extremist political agenda and support candidates that seek to represent and work for all races and religions.