My post-budget comment:
The lay person is presently numbed by the declaration of millions and billions quoted in the latest budget. This is the highest budget ever quoted in our history – so is our borrowing.
The lay person is dumbfounded on:
1) how we are ever going to pay for our increased borrowing deficit
2) with the rabid increase in misappropriation of money and corruption, how are we tracking the spending at all!!!
One of the highest spendings, is on Education. Will this money contribute towards raising the standard of Education or will it go towards more tahfiz/Jakim type of education?
So much money for Defence ? Will we spend it purchasing another ‘missing’ submarine?
The lay person is not convinced. But for me the Budget did not try to deal with one of the most pertinent and vital concerns plaguing us – that of climate change and environmental sustainability. Basically, the figures are political smoke screen and serves as ‘melepaskan batuk di tangga’ where these areas are concerned.
The budget on Tourism will hardly filter on ‘serious’ Arts and Culture. The entertainment tax rebates have been there previously. The ‘finer points’ issues on tax rebates are never clear – we always are stumped by the T&C stated in the finer prints. There should have a moratorium to theatre rental for the next 5 years (at least o some theatres or tax rebates on theatre rental).
I would have liked to see real allocation made to update existing theatres venues: the Istana Budaya is looking tawdry and bedraggled, serving an apt symbol of the poor state of Arts and Culture of the nation.
The JKKN theatres in all major cities are in sad state of disrepair and need budget/dire auditing to make them be potent spaces of cultures again. They are presently not functional.
I look at the Budget and am cynical of the figures quoted; I would want the relevant expert bodies to provide credible tracking on how these money are truly and really, eventually spent!
Ramli
Article on the Vibes: