Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul today denied that the Budget 2008 is an election budget.

"It's not so much an election budget but is based on the national mission that we want to accomplish, the target that we have set for ourselves," he told a press conference held at the Parliament lobby this evening.

The deputy premier made the remark when asked if there were enough 'sweeteners' in the Budget 2008 announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier.

"Ultimately it's up to the people to decide, we can only do our best," said Najib.

Budget 2008, which was the fourth by Abdullah - who is also the finance minister - was widely seen as the last budget before the next general elections, expected to be called early next year.

On the whole, Najib described the budget as a big boost to economic growth as well as improving the well-being and the quality of life.

Bonus for civil servants

Asked on the government's silence on bonus for civil servants, the deputy premier said the government is not required to announce everything in the budget.

"The government can consider at anytime if necessary but don't forget we have increased government expenditure by more than RM8 billion for the new salaries," he said, referring to the recent salary hike for civil servants.

On whether another fuel hike is in store next year since government subsidies, including for fuel will fall as indicated in the annual economic report released with the Budget, Najib merely said that the government is "not going to do anything drastic."

He also said that no time frame has been set for the government to balance its budget.

"There is no time frame but we are committed to reducing the budget deficit gradually," he added.

The government has said it expected to reduce the budget deficit further to 3.1 percent in 2008, down by one percent that it estimated for this year.

Malaysia has been notching up budget deficits for 11 years in a row, considered the highest in Southeast Asia.

The prime minister, who was accompanied by his wife, Jeanne Abdullah, left the Parliament House without speaking to reporters after the tabling of the budget.