Making Sense Of Budget 2021’s Ethnic Fault Lines
The issue of ethnically-targeted allocations rears its ugly head around this time every year when the federal budget is tabled. Yet, public perception may not reflect the full reality. Could better understanding of the disparity mean a better push for alternative allocations and an end to this cycle of anger?
Good God! That’s a lot of cases
When Health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said our Covid-19 numbers would remain high for the time being, we’re not really sure if even he knew just how high they’d go. Let’s just say we’re breaking records.
Meanwhile, the auditor-general (A-G) has released his report and again, we end up smelling like sewage. Also, more ministry budgets were passed in Parliament and, the Perak sultan had some choice words during the oath-taking ceremony for the state’s new MB.
All hail the new chief!
Perak is finally getting a new MB today! State Umno chief Saarani Mohamad is the Chosen One following a pow-wow between the big heads of Umno, Bersatu and PAS.
In other news, a local human rights NGO has released its annual report and, as expected, we came out smelling like bunga tahi ayam. Meanwhile, our Covid-19 numbers took a slight dip, but the downward trend isn’t likely to last.
Like seriously, Perak?
Amidst all the politicking and manoeuvring, Perak remains leaderless. Even the sultan’s at a loss as to which ‘side’ to pick!
In other news, the mess in Perak leads opposition MPs to renew their push for PM Muhyiddin Yassin to be voted out. Only, the Dewan Rakyat speaker is standing in their way. Meanwhile, there’s no respite in our Covid-19 numbers.
Is Ku Nan really off the hook?
Another ally of former premier Najib Razak gets handed a court release in a corruption case. Unfortunately for Tengku “pocket change” Adnan Tengku Mansor though, it doesn’t seem like he’s fully in the clear just yet.
In other news, the political crisis in Perak looks far from being settled; an unlikely company wins an exclusive Covid vaccination contract; Sarawak and Petronas ink a landmark deal; and a wild piggy wiggy causes commotion in a Putrajaya mall.
The Perak gomen has fallen down, fallen down…
More than a decade after a constitutional crisis saw one Perak state gomen unceremoniously replaced with another, the Silver State’s in deep in doo-doo again. The difference this time though is that the outgoing menteri besar is an ally of the big man in Putrajaya.
And it’s not just Perak as political rumblings are heard in Johor and Kedah too! Meanwhile, the CMCO is lifted in lotsa places but extended in others; and Malaysia’s debt rating gets downgraded for the first time in over 20 years.
How many more will we lose?
It’s another dark day as Malaysia records its second-highest number of Covid-19 deaths to date.
In other news, Pakatan Harapan continues its losing streak in its attempt to vote down Budget 2021; and, there are more gender equality woes for Malaysian women, this time for those living abroad and married to foreign nationals.
We’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed, are you?
Britain has approved the use of a Covid-19 vaccine. This could spell very, very good news for us!
In other news, our Covid numbers drop back down to three digits (huzza!), but the cluster involving Top Glove is now spreading outside the company’s employees (bugger!). Meanwhile, a particular politician is under pressure to prove his mettle in Parliament while another has given hundreds of reasons why he should be acquitted of corruption charges.
Women still getting shafted
The lyrics to Beyoncé’s Run the World (Girls) sure doesn’t ring true in Malaysia. Statistics show women still lag far behind men here, especially as far as wages, economic opportunities and politics are concerned.
In other news, what’s Parliament without the rumpus?; the opposition loses more attempts to oppose the budget, putting more pressure on a certain forever-PM-wannabe; and, our Covid-19 numbers go up and up, thanks to a cluster involving a particular glove maker.
Anwar’s big Budget bust?
Major cracks are beginning to show within the opposition while Perikatan Nasional scores more wins on the budget front. There may be time for Anwar Ibrahim and co. to strategise, of course, but at what cost?
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, Mads Mohamad hits back at a former protégé; Finance Minister Zaf assures Penang that Putrajaya’s not out for revenge; and we get clued in on how that much-needed, still-to-be-approved Covid-19 vaccine is gonna be stored.