In a word, this 2009 Budget is not so much for the Rakyat but more for BN MPs!

In a net oil exporting and resources rich (palm oil, rubber, manufactured products, abundance from the sea, etc) country we could easily afford to have a good expansionary budget, like this 2009 Budget (a record of RM208 billion), year after year if not for the leakages and wastages. It is an irony that only when UMNO is fighting for its political survival and in its death bed, will we ever see such goodies like this!

If you look at the gist of the budget, two things stick out as a sore thumb –

1. a colossal, record busting amount of RM154.2 billion allocated for government operational expenditure i.e. for rental, maintenance, stationery supplies, civil service wages etc. In just a short period of four to five years, government operational expenditure has increased by 91.5% or RM73.7 billion. Mind you, this is just for operation expenses consumed in 2009 alone with no further spin-offs and enduring benefits unlike expenditure incurred on infrastructure or building where the benefits are enduring for the life of the assets.

This raises the question as to whether the Federal BN Government will be allocating these monies for its ministers and MPs to spend thereby providing a means for kick-backs to them. Year in year out, we have heard horror stories from the Auditor General Report that a screw driver costs over $500, a notebook costs over $7,000, filming a 3 minute tourism advertisement costs over $300,000, maintaining and repairing a Perdana car costs more than the car itself of over $130,000 inspite that it is still under the warranty period, etc.

Now we know how the Government operating expenditure could increase by 91.5% over 4-5 short years and why an UMNOputra leader could afford to bust RM28 million in gambling debt in a luxurious London casino!

2. Another mind bogging RM53.7 billion was allocated for development, the major part of it is in the BN controlled states like Iskandar Development Corridor in Johore and in Sabah and Sarawak. (Too bad for the guys in Selangor, Penang, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan!). Whether the Federal BN Government actually has that amount of money to spend is another question. Again, this raises the suspicion as to whether this BN Government will be allocating these huge sums of monies for its MPs to spend and providing a means for kick-backs to them.

We all know that it is the unwritten reward and perks for being a BN MP. We all know about leakages and swiss bank accounts, properties in overseas prime area and lavish overseas spending!

There is no prize for guessing that the purpose for the huge, record breaking budget deficit of 4.8% is to provide funds for the BN MPs for their political purposes and to secure the allegiance of these BN MPs and preventing them from hopping to the opposition.

All these should be alright except that the money that they use for their own selfish purpose is from and belongs to the Rakyat jelata!

And what does the Rakyat get? A miserable RM20 electricity exemption and even then you will only qualify if your house is barren of any electrical appliances and only if you switch on no more than 3 or 4 lights at night in the house!

So this 2009 Budget is more a budget for the BN MPs!