Do not compare budgets between states - Zambry

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir today advised Perak opposition assemblymen against comparing the 2017 budgets of Perak and Penang.

He said that was improper because every state leader had his own style of administration based on issues and needs.

"Every year, the opposition picks Penang as the model state. I do not want to criticise because it is not good. Do not compare Perak with Penang as that would lead to defending oneself and conflict between the two states," he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Perak State Assembly sitting.

Zambry, who is the assemblyman for Pangkor, was commenting on the statements of several opposition assemblymen who had spoken during the debate on the Perak 2017 Budget and said it was the worst as it was a budget that had a deficit of RM129.68 million.

He also questioned the assemblymen's comparing of the Perak and Penang budgets, saying the Penang 2017 Budget was also a deficit budget.

"The Perak 2017 Budget is described as the worst, but is the RM600-million deficit Penang budget not the worst?" he asked.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday tabled the state's Budget 2017 of RM1.45 billion which had a deficit of RM667.1 million compared to the RM292.13 deficit of Budget 2016. -- BERNAMA