KUCHING, Mar 27: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo questions if the Perihatin Economic Stimulus Package just announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin needs the approval of the parliament.
“I wonder if a stimulus package of such magnitude – RM250 billion to be exact, first needs to get parliamentary approval, especially if the extra spending means dipping into the nation’s reserves,” said Soo in a press statement today.
Soo wanted to know if in the event that the national coffers were insufficient to fund the stimulus package, would Petronas be asked to cover the cost.
“Each time when there is a crisis, the federal government keeps on relying on Petronas for bailouts. As Petronas gets the bulk of its income from Sarawak’s oil and gas, and what reaches Sarawak is only pittance, Aspirasi wants the federal government to stop treating Petronas as its ATM machine,” said Soo.
Soo also raised the question whether other government linked companies such as Khazanah Nasional Berhad as well as other successful private companies such as Berjaya Group and those owned by children of top politicians will be funding the Perihatin Economic Stimulus Package.
“I propose all MPs, senators and all politically-appointed office-holders to accept half pay for one year to contribute to the economic rescue.
“They are there on account of being voted in by the electorate, so they owe the voters big-time and now is the time to contribute back to the voters,” said Soo.
She said the magnitude of the contribution of frontliners – doctors, nurses, carers, cleaners, army and police personnel – who go to the battlefront everyday to keep people and nation safe are not being appreciated with a meagre increase of RM200 in special allowances.
“They should get RM1,000 extra in special allowances for six months as token appreciation of their sacrifices.
“With the huge amounts of money being spent for this Covid-19 crisis, there is no monitoring by a specific audit committee. A Covid-19 Oversight Committee should be set up to review, monitor and audit the federal agencies, programs, activities during the implementation of the economic stimulus package,” said Soo. —DayakDaily
