When I read the news report, ‘Liow to talk to PM on Chinese school allocations', I was deeply troubled. It calls into question the whole budgetary process on planning, resource allocation, approval and revision.

Every year the Treasury spends an enormous amount of time and energy to prepare the budget. Sources of revenue and borrowing are elaborately identified to meet the planned expenditures.

The budget, which contains estimated revenues, borrowings and expenditures, is presented to the Parliament for debate, and if approved, will become the ‘financial plan’ of the nation for the next one year. Operating agencies will do their activities based on budget approved.

If a revision (a review or an adjustment) to the approved budget is needed due to changing circumstances or unforeseen factors, detailed consultations with operating agencies are necessary to ensure minimal disruption of services performed by the agencies concerned. In any ministry or agency, surely there are programmes and projects more urgently needed than others.

The Education Ministry was given billions (more than RM40 billion, if not mistaken) in allocations in 2016. What puzzled me was that the ministry’s budget cut must include the RM50 million allocated for the Chinese primary schools. Are they to say that out of RM40 billion allocations, they could not spare the RM50 million cut for the Chinese primary schools?

I think most Chinese primary schools are already operating on tight budget each year. An unplanned cut could jeopardise them from doing even the most basic matters.

The president of MCA is most welcome to talk to PM on this. I believe he is justly dissatisfied with the situation. But I think the emphasis should include the most pertinent point - that the RM50 million allocations earmarked for the Chinese primary schools were not a ‘special favour’ but part of approved budget of the year. We do not formulate, announce, debate, and approved our annual budget for fun, do we?