So many questions, so many needs, so many problems, yet I don’t think that Pak Lah has done enough to look deep into these pressing issues. He’s more concerned about trying to retain his position and figuring how to “teach” the rakyat for voting the opposition. He’s already done that to Penang by pulling the plug on the monorail and Penang Outer Ring Road project worth some RM3b. That’s because he’s lost the whole state to the opposition effectively making him the first PM to come from an opposition state.

I remember the time when I sat glued in front of the TV watching the then Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announcing the Malaysian budget for that year. He was smartly dressed in his black Baju Melayu, gold threaded sampin, and a brandish deep black songkok. He was short of a keris and a best man.

It was 1997, and the country, as the rest of Asia were going through a turbulent financial crisis. Though whatever was announced had no impact on me, I was very keen to know what were the measures taken by the government to fix the prevailing problem of that time. Malaysia before the crisis was growing at an average 9%-10% per annum. And when the financial crisis had hit the shores of the country, many people including our ministers, elected law makers and wakil rakyat did not know how to tackle the problem.

The austerity measures announced by the government prove to be a to be an incapable solution as the country slid into negative growth within the next two quarters. Businesses closed, people lost their jobs, opportunities were shrinking, bankruptcies sky-rocketed, mega-projects postponed, huge bail outs occurred…it was a great depression for Malaysia.

Exactly 11 years after he had read his last budget for the government, he now joins the opposite side of the bench to debate the 2009 budget that will be announced by the man that Anwar wants topple; Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The sleepy and rather slow Abdullah is clearly of no match against Anwar’s sharp tongue and excellent oratory skills. Anwar’s skills in language acrobatics and intelligentsia will make Abdullah shudder every time he launches his salvo against him. Such is his conviction and skills that Mahathir had said that “even the devil will follow him”.

But Abdullah is facing the toughest time of his political career. He has succesfully steered BN to its worst ever electoral defeat, lost its customary 2/3 majority, lost five states plus one federal territory to the opposition, faces strong dissatisfaction among the 14 member coalition parties, in-fighting and squabbling among UMNO politicians and warlords, an ailing economy, the allegations thrown at his deputy, strong calls by many factions for him to resign, an angry rakyat for causing them more hardship through his unpopular move to raise fuel prices by almost 50%, causing inflation levels to hit its highest in 21 years and on top of that is facing Anwar who had beaten BN in a by-election with a bigger majority since March 8th.

This one man faces more bigger problems upon which he brought up himself. He was complacent and comfortable as the win in 2004 made parliament over-run with BN MPs. He was surrounded by yes-men and yes-women. He had heard nothing but good news, seen nothing but success. A smaller opposition in parliament meant that the check and balance mechanism had been jeopardized.

And jeopardized it did. This afternoon, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be announcing the budget for 2009. He will be the first PM and Finance Minister to deliver a budget where his coalition holds less than 2/3 majority. He will be delivering the announcement where the rakyat resent him for his ruling to hike fuel prices by 50%.

I’m interested to know, what are his plans to overcome the over dependence of the government on oil and gas revenue? What fiscal policies will be introduced to spur growth and produce sustainable revenue for Malaysia? Will there be a reduction in personal and corporate tax to increase Malaysia’s competitiveness as compared to neighbors Hong Kong and Singapore which has an 18% corporate tax compared to our 26%. What will be done to improve the public transportation system not only in the Klang Valley but in the major cities of Penang and JB? What measures does he have planned to help the hard core poor out of poverty? What incentives will be introduced to halt the brain drain and talent crunch that Malaysia is severely facing. What can be done to reduce the crime rate in Malaysia and ensure the safety of its citizens. What new policies will the government introduce and enforce to ensure that Malaysians have a right to the basic necessities of a good quality of life in their environment. What incentives will be given to induce and bring the lucrative carbon trading business to Malaysia?

So many questions, so many needs, so many problems, yet I don’t think that Pak Lah has done enough to look deep into these pressing issues. He’s more concerned about trying to retain his position and figuring how to “teach” the rakyat for voting the opposition. He’s already done that to Penang by pulling the plug on the monorail and Penang Outer Ring Road project worth some RM3b. That’s because he’s lost the whole state to the opposition effectively making him the first PM to come from an opposition state.

As with every year, DAP would produce and alternative budget to be tabled during the yearly budget announcement. But the DAP seems to be forgetting that they should not act unilaterally in the coalition of equals in PR. They should instead have sold it as a PR alternative 2009 budget for Malaysia.

It will be unwise of him to punish the people even more. Perhaps the rise in fuel prices was to punish the people for consciously voting for the opposition.

Whatever his announcements are, most of the rakyat in my opinion, does not seem bothered as he has proven himself to be incapable of producing a cohesive solution to tackle the inhibiting problems that surfaced by the day as a result of his un-thought-out and ad-hoc run-off-the-mill decisions. If anything at all that he has done well is that he has derailed Malaysia and Malaysians further away from vision 2020. He has disillusioned and shifted everyone’s focus from a common goal to somewhere else called fantasy land.

With great power comes greater responsibility. Unfortunately for him he had too much power with him that it lead to abuse. Absolute power corrupts. And history is not short to offer the lessons of how many leaders and dictators fell victim to an illusion of power.

At this time, whatever goodies he announces will only serve to buy time for him to stay in power. But how long more can he sustain this?

The echoes of “REFORMASI” is not only heard from the rakyat through the PR in parliament, but can also be heard more stronger within the file and ranks of UMNO and the other 13 component parties of BN.

IAG