KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has criticised the 2027 Budget for offering numerous incentives while failing to meet the government's annual development spending commitment of RM90 billion.
He said the RM83 billion development allocation reflected the government's preference for short-term assistance over investments that could generate jobs and boost incomes.
Hamzah also questioned the 11.41 per cent increase in operating expenditure and the higher allocation for the Election Commission (EC).
"When I examined the increased allocation for the EC, I understood why so many 'sweeteners' were announced," he said during the 2027 Budget debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Hamzah said the government had allocated RM510 billion under the Budget, with projected revenue of RM380.8 billion and operating expenditure of RM376.8 billion, accounting for about 99 per cent of revenue.
"This means that for every RM1 in government revenue, only one sen is left for development," he said.
He reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of his commitment when tabling the Mid-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan on Sept 11, 2023, to allocate at least RM90 billion annually for development expenditure.
However, Hamzah said development allocations had remained below that benchmark for four consecutive years, at RM84 billion in 2024, RM81.9 billion in 2025, RM81 billion this year and RM83 billion for 2027.
He said next year's allocation was 7.8 per cent below the RM90 billion benchmark.
Hamzah acknowledged operating expenditure was necessary to pay teachers and doctors, keep schools and hospitals running, maintain security and provide assistance to those in need.
However, he said immediate assistance alone would not be sufficient without investments to strengthen the economy and improve living standards.
Hamzah also compared the government's development approach with those of previous administrations, which he said had established economic and infrastructure foundations that continued to benefit Malaysians.
He said the 2027 Budget should be judged by the government's ability to generate sustainable economic growth and ensure prosperity was shared, rather than by the size of its allocations or the number of announcements made.
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