PAKATAN Harapan’s first national budget is a “populist announcement”, said Sarawak Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Abdullah Saidol.

“It is similar to their (14th general election) manifesto – it looks pretty on paper, but its implementation and results are yet to be seen,” Abdullah, often seen as the Gabungan Parti Sarawak state government spokesman, said in his reaction to the budget delivered by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng earlier today.

Abdullah said the allocation for Sarawak was less than before and “basically disappointing”.

“They (the federal government) failed to specifically address needs for rural development and were uncertain in term of deliveries,” he said, in reference to claims that millions of ringgit in projects approved by the ousted Barisan Nasional government in the 2018 budget were cancelled by the PH government.

Abdullah also questioned Lim’s statement that the budget was structured based on “zero-based budgeting”.

“They have announced their wishlist for the people, but have no clue as to their own financial ability to fulfil those promises.

“In a nutshell, I sense the PH federal government are sceptical of their own budget when they talk too much about making too much allegations and excuses.” – November 2, 2018.