Budiman raps Azmin over uncompetitive national economy accusation

Sungai Panjang assemblyman Budiman Mohd Zohdi yesterday rapped Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali for accusing the country of having uncompetitive economy when the state's 2017 Budget tabled by Mohamed Azmin last Monday, is also a deficit budget.

Budiman said the accusation was irrelevant as the public debt of RM655.7 billion or 53.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of June, was now still reasonable and justified.

"The state government also accused that the country's economy is not competitive whereas they themselves did not divulge the details (about the proposed initiatives)...and only 'half-baked'," he told reporters at the Selangor Legislative Assembly Hall's lobby here Wednesday.

Budiman also described the Selangor's Budget 2017 as a 'business proposal budget' when he cited an example where health incentives that should benefit the people had been given to other parties.

"My question is why a sum of people's money to be paid to a company called Selgate (Corporation) to manage the health scheme? This is a 'business proposal budget', not for the people," he said.

When tabling the Selangor's Budget 2017 last Monday, Azmin announced a healthcare scheme which would provide free healthcare services to 250,000 families or 1 million people in Selangor with household income of below RM3,000.

The scheme is said to be managed by Selgate Corporation.

In his debate speech earlier, Budiman rejected the state's Budget 2017, describing that the budget as too populist. -- Bernama