00:00The newly unveiled 13th Malaysia Plan lacks any wow factor and feels largely like a continuation of previous policies, says an opposition lawmaker.
00:10Rezatus Wan Ahmad Faizal Wan Ahmad Kamal described the five-year development plan tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today as business as usual with no clear game-changing initiatives.
00:20However, he acknowledged that the government appeared to be doing its best to offer solutions amid current global challenges, welcoming plans for flood mitigation.
00:30The Macang MP said whenever the flood season begins, the cost of destruction is bigger than what the government currently wants to spend on preventing floods.
00:38Separately, Bacog MP Shahir Sulaiman said the 13 MP had not set any fiscal distribution formula or quantitative targets for states like Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.
00:51He said this was unlike the 12 MP, which clearly committed to allocating 50% of development expenditure to the six less developed states.
00:59Shahir said the plan failed to address federal-state fiscal reforms, revenue sharing and resource control, adding that the lack of state involvement in planning and implementation has been a major driver of regional inequality.
