Selangor Umno strongman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, echoing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's view that the mainstream media's description of the Budget as the best was just an illusion, said the Budget failed to address the issues that matter.
Although he implied that Anwar could not provide a better budget, he believed Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's greatest challenge was to ensure proper implementation of the Budget, saying that lack of disciplined and tough leadership would delay projects nationwide.
"I hope the prime minister will act as a good driver who can drive, operate and lead each ministry to the level set by the government," he wrote in his blog today.
Dr Mohd Khir said the government did not announce further reduction of fuel prices despite the global price of crude oil had fallen down to US$106 (RM362) per barrel.
"This shows there is no serious effort from the government to ease the burden of the lower and middle income group, especially those in towns," he said.
Saying that the Budget would not bridge the income gap between the poor and the rich, the former Selangor menteri besar said that although the government's commitment to eradicate hardcore poverty by 2010, there were no serious programmes to overcome the problem.
He predicted that poverty would become worse when prices of commodities such as palm oil and rubber do down, as well as the price increase for fertiliser and weed killer, which would affect the farmers' income.
He added that the RM20 electricity bill subsidy would not benefit the target group because the number of those using such a little amount of supply was too small.
He also did not think the funds for small and medium industries were adequate while not enough allocations were provided for the disabled and single mothers.
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