The 2009 Federal Budget Dialogue, organized by the Socio-economic & Environmental Institute (SERI), follows the formulation of the National Budget at a most challenging time in the history of the Malaysia. 

The seminar will not only aim to tackle the traditional issues associated with the budget, such as the macro fiscal measures to guide the economy in the coming year, but will also highlight and review the pressing questions that that have weighed down on the minds of the man on the street. Does the 2009 Federal Budget contain ample provisions to address the concerns of ordinary wage-earning citizens who feel vulnerable to the forces of rising inflation and global economic instability, while ensuring that allocations and public expenditures are apportioned to keep the national economy on the track of continued growth?  How does the Budget affect the Penang economy, given these uncertain times of shifting global trends and a changed political landscape that have enveloped the state and the country?

These questions will be addressed rationally and pragmatically by a panel of speakers and experts in the fields of finance, economics and development at a dialogue session involving active public participation and the sharing of opinions and perspectives on the implications of the new Federal Budget in the year ahead, and beyond.

The seminar was held in Seminar Rooms 3 & 4, Caring Society Complex, on 6th September 2008 from 9am - 12noon.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE RELEVANT LINKS BELOW TO DOWNLOAD PRESENTATIONS