MALAYSIA'S 2009 BUDGET: CARING FOR THE POOR AND THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000774 STATE PASS USTR - WEISEL AND BELL STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE AND EXIMBANK STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE SAN FRANCISCO TCURRAN USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/EAP/J.BAKER TREASURY FOR OASIA AND IRS GENEVA FOR USTR SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN EINV MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S 2009 BUDGET: CARING FOR THE POOR AND THE WELL-CONNECTED ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On August 29 Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi unveiled to Parliament a populist expansionary 2009 budget proposal designed to garner public support for the ruling coalition government. Billed as a "caring" budget during hard economic times, it increases the government's operating expenditure by 16% over last year. While Malaysia's sovereign rating has not been downgraded, analysts have expressed concerns about the fiscal deficit which is expected to reach 4.8 percent this year, effectively reversing four years of fiscal consolidation. Abdullah's proposals for cutting taxes and increasing spending in a broad array of handpicked areas was criticized immediately by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, both for increasing the deficit and for not spending and cutting taxes enough. On September 2 Anwar presented a formal response to Parliament which, rhetoric aside, demanded several key reforms including a call for open tenders for government projects in an effort to cut waste and create fiscal room for tax cuts and spending for real programs. End Summary. BIGGEST WINNERS: PROJECTS BY "NEGOTIATED TENDER" ¶2. (U) RM 6 billion (USD 1.4 billion) will be spent on the "development corridors" - a PM initiative involving various projects to be administered by the federal government, typically through non-transparent "negotiated tenders." The East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim reportedly is courting Members of Parliament to cross over and form a new government with him as Prime Minister, are each slated to receive RM 3 billion (USD 88 million) for badly-needed roads and other infrastructure projects. Perhaps the biggest winner is public transportation, a hot topic since the government cut fuel subsidies in June, resulting in an overnight 41% price hike at the gas pump. The budget promises RM 35 billion (USD 10.3 billion) in expenditures over the next five years to improve efficiency in public transportation, coupled with a RM 3 billion (USD 88 million) soft loan. Scomi, a company owned by the PM's son, stands first in line to be awarded contracts for busses and trains. SWEETS FOR ALL ¶3. (U) In this time of rising food and energy prices, high inflation, and a strengthening political opposition, the budget promises increased spending on food subsidies, low-income housing, public transportation, and agricultural production. It includes increased investments in education and health care, with RM 160 million (USD 47 million) earmarked for Orang Asli, Malaysia's indigenous communities who typically comprise the poorest of the poor. The government will set aside RM 100 million (USD 29 million) to establish a new "Urban Microcredit Financing" program for households earning less than RM 2000 (USD 588) per month. Increased funding also will be doled out to the tourism sector and the police force. Government employees, who received a 35% salary increase last year, are to receive a one-month bonus to be paid out in two installments, in September and December. Tax rates will be lowered and an array of tax exemptions have been promised. The poverty line was raised so more people could qualify for assistance and the income tax floor was raised to RM 35,000 (USD 10,300) so that households earning less than that amount would not pay income tax. For the middle and upper classes, individual income tax rates were lowered by one percent. Import duties were reduced or eliminated for fertilizer, solar energy panels, some food items and small kitchen appliances. Taxes on telephone service and on interest income were eliminated. OPERATIONAL REVENUES AND DEFICIT UP ¶4. (U) The new budget represents a 16% increase in the Government's operational budget over the previous year to a total of RM 154.2 billion (USD 45.4 billion),more than double the level when PM Abdullah took over in 2003. After chipping away at the deficit year by year to 3.2% in 2007, the Government estimates the 2008 deficit will reach 4.8% of GDP but expects to lower this figure to 3.6% in 2009, in spite of its laundry list of new benefits and tax exemptions. International press reports quoted Standard & Poor's rating analyst Takahira Ogawa saying they would not downgrade Malaysia's sovereign rating from an A-Minus immediately, in spite of concerns over fiscal weakness. "We have to see whether this is a one-off expansionary fiscal policy or there will be a medium-term implication of the fiscal expansionary policy," he said. However, he also warned that sustained incidents of such budgets would not be good for fiscal consolidation and that S&P was keeping an eye on the size of the debt burden and the fiscal deficit. Analysts are KUALA LUMP 00000774 002 OF 002 watching negative real interest rates closely. OPPOSITION COMPLAINTS AND CONTRADICTIONS ¶5. (U) In his initial statement, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim presented his top complaints: first, that increasing the deficit was irresponsible; second, that the tax cuts did not go deep enough; and third, that the government needed to implement open tenders for its projects. On September 2 in his formal prepared statement to Parliament, Anwar criticized the GOM's spending initiatives at length for being "too little too late." A POLITICIAN'S ARITHMETIC ¶6. (SBU) When ECONOFF asked one opposition contact about Anwar's arithmetic -- spend more, tax less, and thereby reduce the deficit -- he responded that the real trick was cleaning up the system. He claimed that 50 to 60 percent of money spent on government contracts was "padding" that went straight into the pockets of cronies. The opposition's proposed reforms would free up approximately one third of the governments revenue, he said. He pointed out that the government's operating expenditure was now more than 70% of its total budget, which was higher than most other countries. OPPOSITION'S ANSWER: CLEAN UP THE GRAFT ¶7. (U) The opposition's proposed reforms include ending racial preferences, implementing open tenders for all government contracts, reviewing approved mega-projects, and auctioning off permits to import automobiles to the highest bidder. ¶8. (U) "One of the core pillars of the PKR economic agenda is that all government contracts must be tendered in an open, competitive and transparent manner," Anwar said, calling for equal opportunity for all qualified companies. However, this would be implemented on a gradual basis, commencing in 2009 with projects or supply contracts worth more than RM 10 million (USD 2.94 million),and extending to all tenders by 2015. ¶9. (SBU) Opposition contact told ECONOFF that the "gradual" approach was because PAS, the Islamic Party in the opposition alliance, was concerned about implementing reforms too quickly. While they supported the main ideas, they wanted to see how their constituents would be affected, particularly in the PAS-controlled states. ¶10. (U) Anwar proposed a "rigorous priority review" of all proposed mega-projects costing more than RM 1 billion (USD 294 million) to assess their socio-economic viability, affordability, and intended impact on national development. The review would be conducted "as transparently as possible" and would include "independent and credible professional bodies and individuals." ¶11. (U) Anwar also criticized the government's practice of handing out approved permits (APs) for importing automobiles to a "select pool of 'businessmen'." Estimating each AP's value at RM 25,000 (USD 7353),Anwar said they should be auctioned to the highest bidder, gaining the government an additional RM 1.75 billion (USD 515 million). ¶12. (U) More broadly, Anwar called for "the removal or liberalization of archaic or self-defeating entry barriers that stand in the way of ensuring sustainability and improving growth in various sectors to benefit all Malaysians." His party would publish and promote in greater detail "the entire policy regime of its Malaysian Economic Agenda" in the near future, he said in his statement. ¶13. (SBU) COMMENT: The only thing surprising about this year's budget was that there were no big surprises. Everyone expected the expansionary fiscal policy during the ongoing economic downturn. No one seemed surprised that large sums predictably were being dished out for projects, with cronies undoubtedly first in line. The budget appears to be a carefully crafted balance between spreading new money around to the poor while still satisfying the demands of cronies -- no surprise there either. KEITH