BY: NAZLI IBRAHIM
SHAH ALAM, OCT 31: In contrast with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who asked the rakyat to sacrifice more in the 2017 Budget, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali prioritises state development to boost the economy in the state.
He said that the steps Najib took could dampen the future of the country and its citizens.
“In 2017, we tabled a prudent budget. We do not burden the rakyat. We spend but in our spending, we prioritise development.
“If we do not prioritise development, the country and its citizens do not have any future,” said Mohamed Azmin while tabling the 2017 Selangor Budget at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly on October 31.
He said that when he first took over state administration in September 2014, allocation for development was at 36.7% before rising to 48% in 2015, and then 50% in 2016.
The state government, he added, needed to take a brave stand so that Selangor could continue to progress and remain a pioneer state in Malaysia as well as a competitive state in the region.
Najib had previously announced allocation cuts to several sectors that would affect the rakyat, including education and health, while tabling the 2017 Federal Budget.
This situation has caused untold hardship among average Malaysian families who are struggling with shrinking incomes.
