KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians from all walks of life have been invited to contribute their suggestions in the preparation of the 2018 Budget.
In a blog posting today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the public can share their ideas via a dedicated interactive website (https://bajet2018.najibrazak.com).
“This special platform provides an opportunity for all Malaysians from all levels of society to take part in the process of outlining the country’s annual budget, which will be inclusive and meet the people’s needs.
“This initiative is also a continuation of the 2018 Budget Consultation Council in June, during which I met representatives from the public and private sectors, as well as non-governmental organisations to obtain their feedback,” he said on his blog.
Najib said the public could submit their ideas under 14 different categories — digital economy, cost of living, urban well-being and housing, health services, transportation and infrastructure, rural development, environment and agriculture, youth and sports, culture and tourism as well as public safety and transparency.
The initiative, he said, demonstrated not only the government’s openness, but also its preference for a bottom-up approach to democratise the annual budget.
“It began in 2012 and Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), every year, the recommendations and views from entrepreneurs, youths, professionals, rural communities, among others, would be aired,” he noted.
Najib said for the 2017 Budget, a total of 8,352 suggestions were received and taken into consideration.
“For example, among others, I took into account Abdul Manaf’s suggestion to give tax exemptions for sporting activities and Mohd Raif Masaud’s idea related to improving Internet speeds at a lower cost.
“There were many other suggestions that were examined, fine-tuned and included as part of the government’s policies.
“I hope through this initiative, there will be more Malaysians who will be proactive in playing their roles and contributing to the nation,” he added.