TASEK GELUGOR, Oct 19 — Unlike a manifesto, everything that was announced in Budget 2023 is a promise that will be realistically fulfilled and indeed fulfillable, especially in terms of finance, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said.
The Prime Minister said the budget could not lie as everything had been carefully studied before it was tabled in Parliament and broadcast live on national television for all to see.
“In a manifesto, they can promise you everything, the sky, the stars and even the moon, but let’s not fall into that trap again. Let’s not forget the many (empty) promises they made in their manifesto before.
“When we table the budget, we have the money (to spend). That’s the difference.
“We don’t make empty promises, we have the money, and we have discussed the plan financially to decide whether our fund is sufficient or not…the money is ready (to be spent), it just needs approval. That’s the difference between budget and manifesto,” he said when launching the Keluarga Malaysia Urban Community Enhancement Programme here today.
Also present were Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and Minister of Rural Development Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
Ismail Sabri, however, admitted that even though the budget had been tabled in Parliament, it is still ‘hanging’ following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10.
“But we can solve this. The power is in your hands to make sure that after the 15th General Election (GE15), there will be the same prime minister with a new government under my lead…InsyaAllah the budget will be re-tabled and approved by that new government,” he said.
Budget 2023 with a total allocation of RM372.3 billion was tabled by Minister of Finance Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on Oct 7, three days before the Parliament was dissolved.
Ismail Sabri said the budget, among other things, allocated RM7.8 billion for the provision of cash assistance that will benefit 8.7 million recipients, which is the largest amount of allocations and recipients in history.
