BN’s RM13.8 billion 2012 supplementary budget tabled this June in Parliament is another example of BN’s 3Ds of Deficits, Debts and Deceit as compared to PR’s state government’s record of 3S Surplus, Sustainable debt reduction and Straight talking. When this figure is added to the projected RM 45.9 billion projected deficit in the 2012 budget, we would arrive at a total deficit of RM 59.7 billion, the highest in Malaysian history.
This would easily put Malaysia’s deficit as a % of GDP at more than 6% in 2012, which is significantly higher than the initially projected 4.7%, especially if the widely anticipated worldwide economic slowdown hits Malaysia. The fiscal irresponsibility of the BN government is proven by the fact that the additional funds will be spent on the extra RM 1.5 million allocation to BN MPs from this supplementary budget while non-BN MPs including those from Pakatan Rakyat will be given nothing.
The already bloated Prime Minister’s Department has asked for an additional RM112m to spend including RM30m for a National Branding Unit. One wonders why Malaysia needs a Branding Unit when there are already existing Ministries such as the Tourism Ministry and Agencies such as MATRADE which promote Malaysia and Malaysian companies within and outside the country.
Good companies which make good products coupled with good governments which implement good policies are sufficient to increase the brand profile of a country. Just think of what Samsung has done for Korea and what Apple has done for the United States, without the need of a National Branding Unit.
An additional RM360m has been allocated to the Election Commission and yet the EC cannot even do a proper job of cleaning up the electoral roll not to mention implementing some of the proposals of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform.
The strategy of going to the taxpayers to fund more of its irresponsible spending habits is not something new for the BN. It requested for an additional RM 13.2 billion in June 2011 and an additional RM 10.3 billion in March 2012 for the 2011 Budget.
As of Quarter 1 of 2012, government debt stood at RM 470 billion. If we include the expected deficit from the 2012 budget, our government debt will easily increase to beyond RM500b by the end of the 2012. And this does not even include the worrying increase in the contingent liabilities that are not officially on the books.
These contingent liabilities are loans which will be paid by the taxpayer if the companies in question such as MAS have to be bailed out. Estimates of these contingent liabilities at the end of 2011 stand at approximately RM 110 billion. If contingent liabilities are added to official government debt, our debt to GDP ratio would stand at over 65% at the end of 2012, which is well above the statutory limit of 55% debt to GDP ratio.
The last time this country ran a budget surplus was in 1997 when Anwar Ibrahim was still the finance minister. Since 1997, we have experience 15 consecutive years of budget deficits. Our government debt has increased from RM 89 billion to RM 470 billion as at march 2012. Our government debt has increased 5 fold since 1997 while our GDP has only increased by threefold.
In contrast to BN’s dismal financial performance, PR state governments have recorded surplus after surplus every year and even managed to reduce our debts sustainably.
Penang reduced our debts by a whopping 95% or RM600 million from RM630 million to only RM30 million by end 2011. All this was achieved not by BN’s deceit but by straight talking of running a clean government based on CAT governance of competency, accountability and transparency. Only by voting out this BN government in the next general election can this perpetual cycle of deficits, debt and deceit be stopped.
Lim Guan Eng
—-Mandarin Version—-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员于2012年6月16日在吉隆坡发表声明：
六月份2012年138亿令吉的附加预算案，反映了国阵的3D施政：赤字（Deficits）、债务（Debts）和诈骗（Deceit），反之，民联政府则是3S施政，即：盈利（Surplus）、持续债务缩减（Sustainable Debt Reduction）和实话实说（Straight Talking）
六月份2012年138亿令吉的附加预算案，反映了国阵的3D施政：赤字（Deficits）、债务（Debts）和诈骗（Deceit），反之，民联政府则是3S施政，即：盈利（Surplus）、持续债务缩减（Sustainable Debt Reduction）和实话实说（Straight Talking）。这个数据加上2012年预算案的预算赤字459亿令吉，我国财政预算将达总赤字597亿令吉，成为我国史上最高赤字的预算案。
这令我国的2012年赤字 占了国民生产总值超过6%，比预期的4.7%还高，特别是大家预见世界经济衰退即将打击我国。国阵政府的理财态度可说是不负责任，这从国阵国会议员能够在附加预算案中，获得额外150万令吉拨款可以看出，而那些非国阵（包括民联国会议员）国会议员却分毫未得。
原本已经开销膨胀的首相署还要求额外的1亿1200万令吉，包括3000万令吉用在国家品牌营造单位。我们不禁要问，为什么马来西亚需要品牌营造单位？我们不是已经拥有像旅游部、以及像 马来西亚对外贸易发展局（MATRADE）这样的机构在国外内推广我国及马来西亚人的公司吗？
生产好产品的好公司，以及推行好政策的好政府，将足以打造一个国家的形象与品牌。想一想三星为韩国所树立的形象、苹果为美国所营造的品牌，这些国家根本不需要这些国家品牌营造单位。
另外，选委会也额外获得3亿6000万令吉的拨款，但是选委会到现在还无法真正清理选民册，更不用说推行选举改革国会遴选委员会的建议。
国阵大花大用纳税人的钱已经不是什么新鲜事。它在2011年6月曾经要求额外的132亿令吉，2012年3月为2011年财政预算要求额外103亿令吉。
在2012年第一季度，政府债务已达4700亿令吉。如果我们把2012年的预算赤字包括在外，政府的债务将在2012年底达5000亿令吉。这还未包括不要账目内的、让人担忧的或有负债（ contingent liabilities ）。
这些或者负债就是指要由纳税人买单的贷款，比如一旦像马航这样的公司出现问题需要政府拯救。估计这些或有负债在2011年底达1100亿令吉。如果这些或有负债加上政府的官方债务，2012年底，我国债务占国民生产总值的比率将达65%，远远超过法定的债务比率55%。
我国最后一次拥有盈余的预算案是1997年，当时安华是财政部长。自1997年，我国已经连续15年面对财政赤安。我国政府的债务从890亿令吉，增加到2012年3月的4700亿令吉。1997年到现在，政府债务增加了5倍，但是我国的国民生产总值只增加3倍。
比起国阵恶务的理务记录，民联政府预算案不但年年有余，而且还有办法持续减少我们的债务。
槟城政府成功将槟州的债务从6亿3000万令吉，减去95%，到了2011年底，债务只剩3000万令吉。这些都不是国阵欺瞒诈骗可以做到的，而是实话实说，推行能干、公信及透明的廉洁政府所做到的。来届大选，唯有改朝换代，我们才能遏止赤字（Deficits）、债务（Debts）和诈骗（Deceit）的恶性循环。
林冠英