Arau MP Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim has claimed that Budget 2027 offers no indication that opposition MPs will receive allocations similar to those given to government lawmakers.
He said the issue deserved attention as the allocations were not intended for MPs’ personal benefit, but to help people in need within their respective constituencies.
“We support the good things in Budget 2027 for the people, but there are several matters that need attention. First, the budget presentation began with a Quranic verse mentioning tomorrow and promises.
“We must fulfil our promises and be fair. However, this budget shows no sign that the Prime Minister will ensure fairness for all MPs. Opposition MPs still do not receive allocations,” he told reporters after the Budget 2027 presentation in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, announced a total allocation of RM459.8 billion for Budget 2027, an increase of RM40.6 billion from the previous year.
The fifth Madani Budget, themed Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Earth, focuses on narrowing the country’s wage gap and restructuring the national taxation system.
Shahidan maintained that the lack of allocations for opposition MPs did not reflect the principle of fairness that should underpin government administration, despite the emphasis on reforms.
He claimed that over the past four years, each government MP had received more than RM15 million in allocations, while opposition representatives had been treated differently.
He stressed that the allocations were not meant for MPs’ own use, but to assist those in need, including university students, schoolchildren, single mothers, orphans and low-income families.
“These matters should be addressed first. The money is not for us. It is for students who want to pursue higher education, children entering school, single mothers, orphans, the poor and others,” he said.
