GOMBAK, 31 Oct: The central government's move to eliminate subsidies on essential goods in the Budget 2014 is a 'severe punishment' to the people seeing that the government does not adopt prudent spending, thus costing billions of the people's money.
The Assemblyman for Gombak Setia, Hasbullah Ridzwan said the low to middle-income earners will continue to be squeezed by economic constraints as a result of the elimination of the subsidies.
"We see this as a disaster for the people when the recent budget retracted subsidies of essential goods such as sugar, especially when a festive celebration is coming up," he told TVSelangor.
Hasbullah said, the central government should adopt the concept of prudent spending and find ways to overcome the national deficit.
"The government should think of finding alternative measures to reduce the deficit and their weaknesses in administration.
"Let not the people, who are already suffering from rising prices of goods, be punished again in the budget," said Hasbullah.
Prior to that, Hasbullah accompanied participants of the Diwali Jom Shopping (Let's Go Shopping) programme organised by the Gombak Setia State Legislative Assembly and took the opportunity to mingle with other visitors at the Batu Caves Giant mall.
A total of 300 participants received shopping vouchers worth RM100.
