"I was there" -- says former PM Ismail Sabri during Budget 2023 re-tabling

SHAH ALAM: The former prime minister who tabled a relatively cheaper national supply bill for 2023 than his successor was – ostensibly – rather coy in airing his view over the budgetary price tag.

In his Instagram post, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob simply wrote he was "present” in Parliament to listen to the re-tabling of Budget 2023 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

"May this 2023 Budget benefit everyone. ‘Insyallah’ I will bring the people’s voice in the budget’s debate,” Ismail Sabri remarked.

Unlike Ismail Sabri’s budget – which had an allocation of RM372.3 billion – the re-tabled budget by Anwar carried an RM388.1 billion price tag; an increment of RM15.8 billion.

In terms of operating expenditure for 2023, Ismail Sabri’s budget allotted RM272.3 billion compared to Anwar’s which has RM289.1 billion allotted for the same cost.