A Shadow Budget With No Seats in Parliament, But Plenty of Numbers

While the federal opposition opted against tabling a shadow budget for Budget 2027, Parti Bersama Malaysia, a party with no current parliamentary representation, introduced its own comprehensive alternative fiscal plan. Their shadow budget proposes replacing blanket fuel subsidies with consolidated monthly cash allowances, reintroducing a 5% GST, and addressing long-term structural fiscal constraints.

Sum Dek Joe, Economist and Policy Spokesperson for Parti Bersama Malaysia, joins The Breakfast Grille to examine the modeling and feasibility behind their proposal. He discusses why the party chose to table an alternative budget, explains how their proposed monthly fuel, cost-of-living, and child allowances aim to leave 80% of households better off, and outlines the economic rationale for replacing SST with a streamlined GST.