PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the Pakatan Rakyat shadow budget today. To read the full read text go Here
Anwar did not say anything about defence or national security allocations. So I assume we will have to guess Pakatan Rakyat policies and directions on defence and national security then.
Yes I know the opposition did not get the economic data from the Finance Ministry to prepare the shadow budget but the least they can do is to use the figures from last year to prepare their document.
As it is they left it to us to make the assumptions. Politicians, sigh…
–Malaysian Defence
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
View Comments (18)
This is yet another example of how low on the radar defence issues are. Call it apathy, call it incompetence, or whatever, defence and security issues rank below even national palm oil policy!
well just my opinion, i believe pakatan does not have high regards for defense as there is no enemy in the first place?
Defense?? They will just pack and leave the country. They don't care! They even opted for civil unrest. If the current G has no body competence in defense issue what more to say PR.
well you guys do aware that this is for the "public", right?
We have HANRUH and defence policy stuff rite? but from my observation based on this forum, we onliners seemed to agree that current politicos hard to walk the talk on defence, did not allocate much resources (the monies $$$ RMRMRM), did not repair systemic failures,dared to get kickbacks from "mega defence projects" gambled with lives of our servicemen/women (FAC G to shadow FFG,what the @#$%?), allow slipshod (tidak apaa) culture thus endangering our nation's safety, territorial integrity and pride. Pity ATM...
Let's be honest, people who post on this blog have a keen interest in defense. Ask your parents or your neighbours if they have any inking on defense issues, e.g what platforms to get, life cycle costing and you will likely get a blank look at best or a snide remark of you being a nerd.
Take this is a basis of political calculation and it becomes all to clear. It is not an issue where you will get people on the streets shouting "Bersih". If this is the case, there will be little interest in having a detailed commentary or even a shadow budget on Defense.
kamal,
PKR politicans, like most people, have this idea that skills can be developed overnight to face unexpected threats. They would be shocked if told that certain skills, as required in most militaries, takes years to acquire and need lots of funding to maintain. And that once lost, can't be rapidly regained.
Reply
its not just PKR, its also the thinking those in government....those in the armed forces blamed the politicians for the state of affairs but no one dared to say anything about it when facing the politicians. Its the Ostrich mentality....
Marhalim
To be fair, even the normal PM's budget speech usually dont touch on defence except a one liner i.e. "sejumlah RMXXX" diperuntukan untuk sektor keselamatan.
Reply
Yes, I also expected a one liner on defence, but it was not stated, only the populist figures are included....
….those in the armed forces blamed the politicians for the state of affairs but no one dared to say anything about it when facing the politicians. Its the Ostrich mentality….
Marhalim, I beg to differ. There were incidences/character that I knew of personally where desk was banged, file was thrown, a walk out from meetings/office and sentences like 'then what the heck did you call me for?' being uttered. Some of it against the highest legislature in this country. Just because it happened behind closed door and away from public eyes, does not mean it didn't happen.
I think we've been very professional about this. As painful as it may be, we would not wash our dirty linen in public. Basic tenet of civil-military relation in a democracy is that the military is, and must always be under civilian control. That we respect and uphold.
Reply
Yes Taat Setia to the powers that be is good. But god, country and armed forces should always comes first for all those in the decision making seat.
koxinga,
The fact is that one would be hard-pressed to find much interest in the minutiae of defence matters in even the most militarized states. Singaporeans don't go around calculating the range of F-15s on a low level combat mission. Neither for that matter do very many Israelis. Defence, like physics and many other disciplines, is a field for specialists and 'nerds', if that is what you want to call us.
Despire all of that, defence and national security remain vitally important. It is the responsibility of those in power (and those aspiring to be as well), to ensure the best possible defence. As you alluded, it is not the kind of issue that gets the rakyat excited. Most people are more worried about whether or not they will have enough money to buy new curtains before hari raya. Even though, that is the case, is it acceptable for the government to be absent on security issues? Absolutely not. Just like a child doesn't think much about the electricity that is powering his computer game, neither does the citizen think much about the naval vessel intercepting wayward Chinese ships. And just like the child who will definitely notice when the father does not pay the electricity bill, the citizen will cry foul when a Chinese ship starts drilling oil off the coast of Sabah!