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Anwar’s reply (See full text of his reply at http://anwaribrahimblog.com/ ) to the government national budget was powerful, precise and plausible, eliminating complacency but accentuating reform and opportunity. The first ever budget reply in Malaysian history for an opposition leader to do so comprehensively to incorporate critical challenges for long term economic prosperity into the future for Malaysia.
It is a credible and effective approach well positioned him as an alternative Prime Minister to form the next government. The reply reasserts the core plank of his Malaysian Economic Agenda’s commitment to fairness and equality for all regardless of race while embracing economic empowerment for business to grow. The business investment initiatives outlined in Anwar’s reply is a core economic challenge for the nation; it is intended to provide business incentives to restore the competitive edge and to rebuild investors’ confidence to attract more foreign direct investments and to promote local investments to propel economy growth, this will subsequently provide better services in hospital, education, housing and transportation to the people especially the poor. With the investment initiative also focusing in quality education that the more you invest in the education, training and skills of the people, the more productive the economy becomes. The reply reiterated the Malaysian Economic Agenda on good macroeconomic polices in banking regulation, full-disclosure, strong fundamentals and corporate governance; better social quality of life in civil liberty, judicial independence, freedom and democracy, race relations, religious tolerance, national unity, law and order; and the competency, accountability, transparency in governments. If Pakatan Rakyat were to form the next government, Anwar promised to exercise fiscal discipline to balance the budget to reduce the fiscal deficit inherited from the current administration in the next economic cycle, he had proven track record to put budget into surplus during his tenure as finance minister. This is in sharp contrast to the government budget with deficit running at 4.8% of GDP, fiscal deficit can put upward pressure on inflation and causing more financial burden to Malaysian families already hit hard by the cost of grocery prices, fuel costs and other expenses. There are other key measures Anwar targeted to reduce deficit by cutting unnecessary expenses in attacking the culture of corruption, cronyism, he intended to lead a government that is transparent and efficient in the award of contracts to a more open and competitive public tendering, and the issues of approval permits. To prevent the government ‘too little, too late’ approach, Anwar offers to act immediately to fix the problems confronting the nation while there is still time for him to do so, or wait for the challenges to swamp Malaysia and be left behind. To borrow a phrase from John F. Kennedy: 'The time to fix the roof is when the sun is still shining”. So we must seize the day to get the nation in order with the Pakatan Rakyat forming the next government soon, to implement the Malaysian Economic Agenda Anwar promised and to bring a new era of just, progressive and long-term economic prosperity for Malaysia. - Daniel Lim
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The Blogs 
September 16 bye bye umno