Datuk Seri Najib Razak must explain how federal allocations to his department have been spent given the “stark” increase in the prime minister’s budget over the last three years, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has said.
The opposition pact said the more than four-fold increase in the Prime Minister’s Department’s (PMD) development budget from RM7.2 billion under the Eighth Malaysia Plan (8MP) to RM29.6 billion under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) demanded greater accountability from Najib.
“The development allocation for the PMD is discretional expenditure that allows the prime minister to approve it literally with the stroke of a pen, whereas other ministerial expenditures or treasury payments must pass through more rigorous checks.
“The rakyat deserves to know exactly what and where the PMD has been spending so much money,” the PR secretariat said in a statement today.
Speaking to reporters today after a PR alternative budget committee meeting, DAP international secretary Liew Chin Tong (picture) said the opposition will propose that the Prime Minister’s Department budget be cut to under RM5 billion to free up federal funds for more pressing national needs.
He pointed out that the Education Ministry was asked to reduce spending in 2010 and this year, which led to hostels cutting meals on weekends, even while the prime minister’s budget shot up “double, triple” compared to 2005/06 levels.
“We say that instead of giving the money to the prime minister, the prime minister should ensure that all departments get adequate amount of expenditure and spend it wisely,” he said.
The Najib administration has committed itself to trimming 2009’s two-decade high budget deficit of 7 per cent, most recently slashing subsidies on fuel, sugar and electricity to avoid the subsidy bill from doubling to RM21 billion.
But the government is under pressure to contain inflation which hit a two-year peak of 3 per cent in March before rising to 3.5 per cent in June, heightening public concern over price hikes.
Last week, Najib, who is also finance minister, committed RM2 billion to a Hari Raya half-month bonus for all 1.3 million civil servants and a RM500 payment to 600,000 pensioners in a bid to help ease their burden ahead of the Muslim festival at the end of the month.
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RM29.6 billion for the PM's department is chicken feed for Najib's administration. Najib's spokesman Nazri will reply that its not RM296 billion so why make the big fuss.
This is the only government that claim to practice democracy that has the pm disbursing and spending money like his own.
Money should be disburse by the treasury and all expenses must be from approved budget in parliament. For the pm to be able to write himself billions and billions of ringgit in the name of development without prior budget approval from parliament is a crime that must be addressed.
Najib needs to explain to the people how can the government cut budget for schools and then spend them on PMD? People will not tolerate government that fails to be accountable in using public funds.
Rakyat demands their money to be well spent for the development of this country. For the good of all Malaysian, bumiputera and non bumiputera alike.
All this due to the devious Mahathir who consolidate the post of prime minister and financeminister. No check and balance.No wonder our country is going bankrupt.
This is the type of questioning that made UMNO uncomfortable and always trying to brand DAP as racist and against the Malays. There are so scared that the Rakyat would see their true colors (to help themselves, not the rakyat regardless of race) so they need to made false accusations to divert attention.
Keep it up Tony, i can see Najib trembling already.
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