An online poll on the MCA website has surprisingly revealed that an overwhelming majority have doubts about the effectiveness of 2005 budget - the first tabled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also finance minister.

A total of 213 respondents voted during the polling period from Sept 13-30, after the budget was tabled in Parliament on Sept 10.

According to the poll, 171 respondents, or 80 percent, expressed doubts that 'the budget would strengthen the domestic economy'.

Interestingly, in a similar poll last year only 29 percent had conveyed similar doubts over the 2004 budget delivered by outgoing prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In the latest poll, one percent of respondents felt that the budget was respectively a 'good budget that would stimulate growth' and 'the government had been generous', while none of the 213 said it was 'full of surprises and incentives'.

Another 37 respondents, or 17 percent, said that the budget was 'reasonable and balanced'.



In last year's poll, 50 percent said Mahathir's budget was 'full of surprises' while 19 percent believed that it was 'a good budget that would stimulate growth'. But missing in this particular poll was a category for 'reasonable and balanced' budget.

Highly-educated voters

Commenting on the poll, MCA Youth joint secretary-general Loh Seng Kok said the result might not reflect the views of all party members as there were only about 200 participants.

"I think the respondents were mainly those who are highly educated and have access to the Internet. Those in the rural areas may not have had a chance to voice their opinion," he told malaysiakini.

"If it is not a good budget, it will not be approved by members of Parliament," said Loh, who is also the Kelana Jaya MP.

The budget is currently being debated in Parliament.

He said the reason why no one had voted that the budget was 'full of surprises and incentives' was because the government did not need incentives to appease the people.

In his budget speech, the premier introduced a four-prong strategy aimed at promoting economic growth and reducing the nation's fiscal deficit, which has run for eight years in a row.

There were surprises in other MCA online polls, some of which produced results diametrically opposed to party policies.

For example, 59 percent said the controversial National Service is 'a waste of time and money', 50 percent said Abdullah's new cabinet was 'mediocre', and 97 percent said the 10 percent toll hike along the North-South Expressway was not justifiable.

MCA is the second largest component party in the Barisan Nasional coalition, which won the March general election with a thumping majority.