3. Fiscal Consolidation & Subsidy Rationalisation
Cutting waste, streamlining subsidies but inflation’s rising, living costs biting & targeted aid is patchy
Final Verdict:
Technocrat turned politician, often seen serving political masters!
Grade: D- Overpromises, underdelivers
Achievements:
1. Madani Economy Framework
Long-term vision to reform Malaysia’s economy but high on jargon, low on measurable change. All air, no lift!
2. Investment MOU Parade
Rm300+bil worth of MOUs signed but only few matured into actual fdi!! More theatre than substance! 🧵3
2. Direct Tender Backlash
Exposed a RM6.6B project list. Revealed 72% awarded under BN, undermining PH reform credentials & eroding public trust
3. Trade Optics vs Reality
Talks big on reducing U.S. tariffs! Many sectors declared exempt but exports still likely face GDP drag 🧵2
Tengku Zafrul’s report card
Top 3 Controversies:
1. Appointed to cabinet without winning an election
Thrice parachuted into ministerial positions, first under PN, then BN & now madani without electoral mandate. Zero grassroots legitimacy 🧵1
What message are we communicating here?!
"former Cherating police station chief was fined RM20,000 by the Sessions Court after admitting guilt to 40 out of 98 bribery charges". A police chief.
Remember in Jan 2025 a man was sentenced 3 months for stealing a bunch of bananas.
RM21 million for Madani kenduri, zero from GLCs, 100% tabung rakyat??!! Meanwhile, 60% of msians can't survive a rm1000 emergency!! Unity isn’t built on buffet lines & it is buried under unpaid bills & shrinking savings!!!
Pakatoon template for stealing can put even BN to shame. 50% council parking revenue going to a crony when they claimed they have established this model for a MBI Selangor company to undertake this.
A 68% debt to gdp ratio means a larger chunk of national income goes to repaying loans & not helping rakyat! In 2004 we were more prudent than Indonesia. 2024 they outpaced us while we out-borrowed ourselves! When national debt grows faster than national dignity the rakyat bleeds
Numbers don't lie. A M'sian can kill themselves to work twice as hard to earn more RM but still the purchasing power of the RM is laughable. Whether it's groceries, tech gadgets, food prices etc. The cost of things will continue to rise, while your RM salary remains.
16,800 tax defaulters only defaulted RM1.2 billion. One thieving family defaulted RM1.7 billion in taxes and yet Rosmah and her kids happily travelling everywhere.
Firstly Zafrul wasn’t involved in the other ASEAN countries negotiations which MY, PH, ID, TH & KH all kena 19%!! The decision to impose 19% is the entirely in the hands of USA not as a result of good negotiations by zafrul or pmx! Sgp has only 10% & that is good negotiation!!!