KUALA LUMPUR: The fate of the 2023 Budget is left hanging as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced the dissolution of Parliament earlier today.
Economist Professor Dr Barjoyai Bardai said the short time gap between the approval of the Budget and the 15th General Election (GE15) would be a major concern.
"This is because an approved budget will become a formal document used for execution by civil servants for the next year.
"Let's say that the election happens in December, then there will not be sufficient time to approve the budget (for 2023).
"If it is not done, there will not be any funds approved for the civil servants to execute on.
"Temporary allocations may be in play, but we should expect the government servants to take charge of the economy until a new government is formed," he told New Straits Times.
Barjoyai said a proper plan should have been drawn up to get the budget approved before dissolution of Parliament.
"This is not a good move. The people will feel as if they have been made a (subject of) mockery because it has been tabled in the Parliament.
"We will have to wait for a new government to be formed and the next finance minister to present the budget.
"Until then, we will not treat this budget seriously," he said.