> Stimulus requires no approval?

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has predicted a dictatorial regime under Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"If he comes into the picture, everything will be clamped down," he said to reporters in Parliament when told that the Finance Minister plans to roll out the RM7 billion stimulus package which Najib announced in Dewan Rakyat last Tuesday.

"It has not been approved by Parliament. It has not even been tabled," the Permatang Pauh MP said of the stimulus plan.

"The public is not even aware this is a problem as conveniently most mainstream newspapers have covered this up just to protect him.

"This is what we mean by arrogance of power, they control everything, dictate terms and monopolise the news and they can get away literally with murder," he said.

"This means you can anticipate the type of administration under Najib," Anwar said, referring to the transition plan whereby Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will hand over the reins to Najib after the March Umno polls.

Anwar's statement also reflected the opposition's insistence that Najib's speech last Tuesday, in which the stimulus package was announced, cannot be considered an approved policy.

"In the issue of tabling this revised budget, the fact is that it was not done according to procedures.

"If he says it will be disbursed in January, how do you disburse funds that have not been approved by Parliament?

"So I do not know from where, maybe from his savings," Anwar quipped.

Najib, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said earlier today that he expects the first projects under the stimulus package to "start to move on the ground" by the first quarter of 2009.

On Wednesday, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia had ruled that Najib's proposals were not part of the Budget to be debated at the committee stage.

However, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah had insisted in Parliament that the monies allocated in the stimulus plan only required an administrative order from the ministry and were not considered an amendment to the Budget Bill.

"If you ask me what would I do in that position, last week after being told, I will just table it - what is the problem?" Anwar concluded - The Malaysian Insider.