THE Pakatan Harapan leaders should focus on ensuring Budget 2021 is implemented effectively to the benefit of the people after failing to dislodge the Perikatan Nasional Government’s budget.
“The people are confronted with escalating economic pressure – pay cuts, job losses, inadequate social security protection and other pressing matters.
“Without any doubt, the Opposition has a duty to demand that the little benefits, promised in the budget, reaches the people,” said Penang Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary K Veeriah.
The Opposition bloc had attempted to dislodge the fragile Perikatan Government by voting down Budget 2021, which would either force the Cabinet to resign or trigger snap polls.
However, the Pakatan MPs failed to do so after Umno, which was initially said to be backing the former, supported the Government’s budget instead.
Veeriah said that Pakatan leaders should now come up with better policies to match, or outmatch, the Government’s programmes to alleviate the people’s economic suffering.
“The Pakatan coalition needs to lay proof that it’s programmes are inclusive. It has to labour to capture the trust, and imagination, of the people that it is still beholden to its charter to the run-up to the last 14th General Elections,” he said.
The veteran union leader also reminded the Opposition that the latter suffers from trust deficit among voters, given its covert role in ousting former Perak Menter Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
“If it is true that Pakatan played a role in the move, it stands testimony to the notion that there are no permanent friends or enemies amongst the unscrupulous political bedfellows!” Veeriah added. – Dec 27, 2020.
