Below are some immediate reactions for the opposition members of parliament on the Budget which was announced today by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur)

It's definitely an election Budget with goodies all around. For those who've expected the government to be serious in fighting crime will be disappointed.

The Budget is filled with the usual sweet sounding statements and recycled announcements.

I don't feel any Malaysian would feel safe in their homes or on the streets after hearing the Budget. Can the women feel safe from crime just because they are given such big allocation?

I'm personally very disappointed, and I feel it is very bad.

PKR leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh):

The Budget is more like icing than cake. It is an election Budget which is thinly spread out.

We can see the pronouncement, but what about the delivery? We can see that the deficit has been reduced completely, but we still need to work on reducing it further.

When you talk about goodies, only one-third comes from the government, where do the rest come from?

Furthermore, nothing was mentioned about taking initiative to control the leakages in goodies delivery.

Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching):

Overall, for an MP from Sarawak, I welcome the generous allocation given to Sabah and Sarawak. But at the end of the day, how much of it will reach the public and be delivered equally?

As it was before, the leakages are still quite bad. Things like corruption and nepotism still exist.

Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian)

I see more benefits have been lined up for the corporate sectors next year but nothing big has been given to the agriculture sector.

However, I welcome the move to give free textbooks to all students next year.

Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam):

I think it's an election Budget. We don't see any big policy changes, we just see minor adjustments. We see an increase of allowance for the disabled, but is that enough?

There's no intention of passing a law that safeguards the rights of education for the disabled.

If they don't get equal opportunity for education, they will definitely not get equal opportunity to work.

Kamarudin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat):

This Budget is a reflection that inflation and the cost of living is high. That is why the government must increase financial help and subsidies.

No bonuses for government staff mentioned. Next month will be the fourth year of his tenure and he is a man of mere announcements of mega-projects.

Reduction of school fees again shows cost of living is high but we are waiting for the decrease of costs for tertiary education because it is expensive.

The PM also left out healthcare costs reduction.

Tan Seng Giew (DAP-Kepong):

Twenty five percent of the Budget which is allocated for education is a good move but the huge amount allocated for national defence is worrying.

Healthcare allocation is high but we hope there is quality assurance in the hospitals, staff and services. I hope there is progress in public transportation's quality too.