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KUALA LUMPUR: Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin has accused the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government of paying more attention to people in the cities in tabling its maiden budget early this month.
Khairy said there was no mention of social safety nets carried out by the previous government, such as special aid for farmers, fishermen and small-time planters who face threats to their income during the monsoon season.
“This is not to buy their votes. This aid is about whether they get to eat or not, because for them, during the monsoon season and while waiting for the harvest, they lose their main source of income.
“If not the government, who else will help them in such situations? You want to ask the free market to help them? You want to ask developers and conglomerates to help them?” Khairy, who is effectively Barisan Nasional’s shadow finance minister, said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said there was also no mention of any programmes to help farmers and fishermen generate income during bad weather seasons.
“No mention of assistance or alternative skills. So I would like to ask, what does the government want them to do during such seasons?”
Khairy questioned whether the present government was interested in helping people in rural areas.
“Is the government of the day only serving those who live in big cities?”
He also asked if other initiatives to help the poor, such as Rumah Mesra Rakyat and the housing aid programme, would be continued.
Khairy noted that money for infrastructure development as well as for basic rural facilities had been reduced to RM36 million.
“This is the problem when the economic philosophy is too focused on those living in the big cities,” he said.
He said the 2019 budget did not elaborate on efforts to counter the falling price of oil palm, which had affected Felda settlers.
“I am sure that Felda settlers will be well taken care of if PH continues the agenda previously set out by Barisan Nasional to improve their well-being, specifically to continue the disbursement of special incentives, the building of more home units for second generation Felda settlers and the writing off of unreasonable loans.”
Adding that the coming year would be challenging for small businesses, he said the government must not only talk about the “free market” or blame others.
“Cancelling projects and saving money alone are not enough.
“What the people need to get through economic uncertainties next year is hope. A hope that the government will begin to manage the country, not blame the past government.”
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