Yesterday, @KEADILAN had our pre budget briefing. (1/n)
We also collected our lunch dues, each PKR MP contributes RM100 to buy our own lunches for the next 6 weeks. YB June Leow is the acting treasurer and lunch organiser. Yesterday, her officer tapau a variety of Subway sandwiches, coffee and tea. (2/n)
YB Dato Johari as Chief whip of PKR gave an introductory speech and reminded PKR MPs to social distance, wear mask at all times (unless speaking) and to take out our coffee mugs and pass them directly to the cleaners after the briefing. (3/n)
I gave the budget briefing for slightly more than an hour. Answering many questions and interjections from our MPs. (4/n)
Alethea my officer took charge of the power point, she had also prepared additional budget notes that we passed on only to PKR MPs, to help them prepare their own debate speeches. (5/n)
Anwar's team and speechwriters were also in attendance. I will be working with them this weekend to craft the Leader of the Opposition speech. We also invited the whips of Amanah, DAP and Warisan to join the meeting. (6/n)
Next week, I will be giving a second budget briefing to PKR MPs, on how to better read and understand the complicated and thick budget documents. (7/7)
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3. Opex is RM164 billion, Tanggungan RM72 billion, Devex RM71 billion, Covid-19 Fund at a surprisingly small RM17 billion. (1/n)
As the MoF reads his speech, I’m reading (at a furious pace) the budget books on my desk.
Am looking at revenue... Wow the government predicts a bigger collection on corporate income tax next year than the pre-covid year of 2019! Someone is somewhat super over optimistic? (2/n)
For 2019, the govt collected corporate income tax of RM63.75 billion. For 2021 the government is now projecting RM64.60 billion. I suppose the government believes that Covid-19 will just disappear on 1st January, as predicted by the super genius Trump. (3/n)
In reply to this question, Zuraida, the minister of housing replied that she will look into the matter. She then added that for every ketua kampung, she has allocated RM100,000 to spend yearly. (2/n)
Ketua Kampung gets RM100,000 a year. Opposition MPs also get the same allocation of RM100,000 a year. A typical kampung has a population of less than 1,000. In Parliament Subang, I have an estimated population of 380,000. (3/n)
Yesterday, I took part in the MoF debate which was heated, controversial and downright bizzare in some parts. (1/n)
The minister started off well enough by saying he will reply to questions raised by a few MPs, including myself. But then he goes on to read a prepared speech touching on very general terms. (2/n)
After listening carefully for a few minutes, I interjected him to ask whether he will be answering our specific questions that we posed or will he just continue to talk in general terms. (3/n)
This party looks a bit like a Jho Low style party. This is a indirect insult to all Malaysian taxpayers who lost billions. (2/n)
It raises a simple question, just how stupid was this deal that the PN government closed with Goldman, that the Goldman boss feels it is appropriate to party like there is no tomorrow? (3/n)
The Federal Budget will now be postponed by more than a month. The Speaker received a letter from the prime minister informing him of the change. The tabling of the budget was originally slated for 2nd October and now the new date is 6th November. (1/n)
A postponement of this nature is not good news for an already jittery economy. This is not going to be a confidence booster. (2/n)
At best case scenario, this postponement means that the government just needs more time to organise itself financially, but in the worse case scenario, this postponement could mean the government is just clueless. (3/n)
Many asked questions about the GST report and my position during the hearings. Did I cover up for DAP? Did I instruct Willie Mongin to "let DAP handle it"? Some asked "was the GST money ever stolen"? Some even claimed I am a DAP MP! (2/n)
I re-iterate, I did not ask Willie to "let DAP handle it". (3/n)