Why isn’t Najib defending his budget?

BN's show in Parliament this morning was simply super pathetic – only two BN MPs dared to stand up to try and rebut Anwar, says Chua Jui Meng.
By Chua Jui Meng
Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Najib Tun Razak’s absence from parliament to defend his Budget 2013 today confirms him as the most cowardly premier in Malaysian history.
He failed to defend his farcical 1Malaysia electoral battle cry, and now his much too sweet Budget 2013 which is clearly aimed at fishing for votes.
Najib just don’t have the calibre and guts to face Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim where and when it counts.
A country’s national budget is one of the most important aspects of governing a nation. And that must also come with good governance.
Barisan Nasional’s show in the August house this morning was simply super pathetic – only two BN MPs dared to stand up to try and rebut Anwar.
Both were cut down to size by Anwar and opposition MPs due to their weak rebuttals that backfired instead.
Not a single deputy minister or minister was present to boldly face Anwar’s grilling.
Anwar cooly, confidently and systematically tore apart Najib’s Budget 2013 that was unveiled on Friday.
Politik murah
Making minced meat of Budget 2013, Anwar described it as politik murah (cheap skate politics) devoid of any long-term fiscal measures to heal national economic woes and forward Malaysia.
He rightly pointed out that many countries, when Malaysia achieved Merdeka (Independence) in 1957, were behind us in economic growth and progress.
Today, our growth pace and economic achievements are lagging countries like South Korea and Turkey, a country without oil and gas but is able to provide free education to all its children.
He said the ballooning of federal debts and annual deficit budgets must be curbed.
The only way to stop this unabated negative growth is to restructure and revamp the country’s national fiscal policies.
The budget must feature genuine measures that benefit the people economically by cutting down leakages and mega-project costs that only fattens crony businesses.
Budget 2013 only serves to do just that, not the general well being of all Malaysians.
Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chairman. He is a former MCA vice president and ex-health minister.

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