A budget with heart, say ordinary folk

A budget with heart, say ordinary folk THE BUDGET DOES not change the life of ordinary Malaysians. However, it is a good budget with the people in mind, seems the general view of the public. "It looks more like a soft-hearted budget rather than one with earthshattering changes," said Gilbert Yeoh, who was featured with his family in last weekend's edition of theSun. Yeoh said: "It looks like it focused more on the lower-income (group) and on parents with disabled children. "I suppose, looking at the current economic situation, it was the very best that the government could do." The 50-year-old doting father of two added that "if we asked anything more from the government, it will be straining on them and will indirectly do damage to the economy". "From the business side, if the government did take into consideration the annual application for the separation of insurance and the Employees Provident Fund, it would encourage the insurance industry and help the economy too," added Yeoh, to which his wife Amy Huee, agreed. Insurance agency manager Huee, 45, had just returned from a week-long business trip to Shanghai and missed listening to the Budget. However, she is looking forward to catching the Budget while watching the news later. "We have always been expecting news of the separation scheme ... but with each year, our request is not granted. "Nevertheless, we will look forward to next year's Budget," she said. For the increase in taxes on liquor and cigarettes, Yeoh said it came as no surprise, especially with the "Tak Nak" anti-smoking campaign. "I will not say that it is very good either because I will come under fire from my circle of friends if I do ... but it is a good idea since the government has healthy living in mind," he added. Meanwhile, retiree John Lim, 70, said the government should exempt retirees from paying income tax. "If someone started working at the age of 18 and has been paying income tax since then, when he or she reaches the graceful age of 60, the individual would have been paying 42 years of tax to the government. "Why not give us an exemption, allowing us to work hard to enjoy the fruits of our labour for the rest of our natural life?" he asked. He suggested that the government pick 55 as the cut-off age for the exemption of income tax.