Anwar wants Najib to do something about the economy

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today urged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to revise Budget 2009 due to the changes in the global economic situation over the past one-and-a-half months.

The newly-elected MP for Permatang Pauh also called on the new Finance Minister to gather together experts from Bank Negara and from the Economic Planning Unit to relook the Budget.

Anwar"s speech in the Dewan Rakyat today signalled an opposition effort to turn their attention towards Najib following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi"s recent announcement of his decision not to contest the Umno presidency which he will likely hand over to Najib next March.

Najib was not in Parliament this morning to listen to Anwar's speech, which appeared to be an attempt to highlight the Barisan Nasional government's possible mismanagement of the economy in light of the financial markets meltdown.

Anwar said that 44 per cent of the national revenue is affected by the recent drop in global oil prices, US$125 a barrel to US$77 a barrel.

Consequently, the government will be forced to issue bonds to cover a shortfall of RM6 billion.

He noted that in the first half of the year, the cash outflow was RM125 billion in foreign direct investments. However, the finance minister only announced RM31 billion recently.

The deficit, said Anwar, will balloon much larger than the projected RM36 billion.

-Only those enslaved and insane will support this Budget,- he said.

- The Malaysian Insider