Press Release at the press conference held at Johor State Assembly, Kota Iskandar, at midday 7 November 2013 by the Johor State Assembly Opposition Leader Dr. Boo Cheng Hau, together with PAS Parit Yaani State Assemblyman Aminolhuda Hassan, Jimmy Pua PKR Bukit Batu State Assemblyman and other PR State Assemblymen condemning Johor Barisan Nasional Government for its failure to table an audited 2012 Johor State Government Financial Report to the State Assembly at the commencement of the 2014 Budget sitting beginning 7 November 2013.

The Johor State Government has denied its people and State Assemblymen's right to make informed decision because it has failed to table the audited 2012 State Government Financial Report at the commencement of its 2014 budget sitting today.

This is my sixth year participating in the State Government budget debates, but this is the first time that Menteri Besar has failed to table an audited financial report of the State Government for the completed financial year of 2012 to the State Assembly for the purpose of tabling and debating the 2014 State Government Budget.

According to the Johor State Constitution Part II, Clause 38(4) provides that the proposed budget must show "the assets and liabilities of the State at the end of last completed financial year, the manner in which those assets are invested or held, and the general heads in respect of which those liabilities are outstanding".

Nonetheless, the Johor State 2014 Budget shows only the State Government's non-audited list of cash reserves and other assets such as revenues and trust funds without stating the liabilities of the state government as at 31 December 2012.

I have contacted the Speaker and State Assembly Secretary and understood that the Aduditor General's report and Auditor General's certification of the State Government's 2012 Financial Report was passed at parliament late and hence, it was not able to table it in time at the Johor State Assembly.

According to their understanding Part II Clause 38(4) of the State Constitution refers to the brief statement of the State Government's assets. Nonetheless, why the State Government's liabilities and debts were not stated in the 2014 Budget as required by the State Constitution?

As of a constitutional convention, an audited of the previous completed financial year-that is 2012 must be tabled for the budget debates in order for the State Assemblymen to participate in meaningful debates, and make wise and informed decisions on the 2014 budget.

As of now we are not able to review an audited accounts of the State Government of 2012, it is detrimental to the function of the State Assembly to check on the transparency of the State Government financial standings. It is the right to information not only by the State Assembly but also by the public.

Right now we are not able to have a clear picture of Johor State Government's 2012 liabilities and expenditure details, how could State Assemblymen make a wise and informed debates and decision on the 2014 Johor State Budget?

This has made the Johor State Asembly as a mere rubber stamp of the Johor State Government and shown disrespect to the people of Johor. The Johor State Government has set a bad precedent by denying the people's right to information.

It is expected that the audited Johor State Government 2012 Financial report will be tabled in next March's sitting for the supplemental budget. Nonetheless, the State Assembly is already denied the right to information in the first instances. The whole 2014 Budget debate will be carried out without transparency of the State Government accounts especially the worrying state of the State Government liabilities.

It is unthinkable that the Johor State Assembly has to pass the 2014 Budget in the darkness without knowing the true status of the latest financial standings of the state government. It creates unnecessary constitutional crisis as to whether a State Budget could be passed by the State Assembly in contravene to Part II Clause 38(4) of the Johor State Constitution.

柔佛州州议会在野党领袖巫程豪于2013年11月7日，于柔佛州州务大臣卡立诺丁提呈2014年柔佛州财政预算案后，于今天中午假柔佛州议会走廊，在伊斯兰党巴里亚尼州议员阿米诺胡达、公正党武吉巴都州议员潘维斯以及民联众议员的陪同下，召开记者会，炮轰日剖佛州政府在没有提呈2012年完整财务报告的情况下，让议会无法仔细辩论财政预算案，也拒绝了议员和公众的知情权。

我在柔佛州议会当了第六个年头的议员，但第一遭遇到州务大臣在提呈财政预算案时，少了提呈前一年也就是2012年州政府的完整财务报告。

柔佛州宪法第二部分第38(4)款项清楚地阐明，在提呈下一年的财政预算案时，而上一年的完整州政府财务报告(Penyata Kewangan)，根据实际情况，必须列出州政府的资产和债务。

我和议长以及州议会秘书了解时，他们都认为2014 年财政预算案内，简略提出州政府的2012年资产和开销就可以了，但州宪法要求州政府提呈完整的前一年（2012年)的资产和债务，根据常理有关报告也不能草率，而必须由公共稽查司签准才行。

这是非常重要的宪法精神，我们不能让纳税者的血汗钱开支，如此轻易被掩人耳目，人民有绝对的知情权。政府财务开销必须持有高度透明度，至今我们无法准确的知道到底2012年12月31日止，柔佛州政府开支不符多少， 以及政府公债又是多少。

众多议员在不知道州政府去年政府开销和债务多少的情况下，被逼通过明年的财政预算案，这就犹如瞎子摸象，可说立下非常要不得的先例，州政府也等于在玩弄柔佛州子民的智慧，试图瞒天过海。

预计柔佛州政府要到了明年3 月份才提出2012年财务报告时，已经为时已晚，议员们和公众第一时间知情权，已经被剥夺了，整个辩论州政府财政预算案缺乏了透明度。令人担心的是，柔佛州政府的财务大不如前，而人民还被蒙在鼓里。

在我还没有提出有关问题时，已有友党的以议员同时觉察到缺了一份完整2012年州政府财务报告，也见证了民联议员们的警惕性，目的也是为了追根究底，还人民知情权。

根据我想有关方面探索，其中解析的理由是，公共稽查署延迟提交国会通过，造成州议会无法及时把详细的州政府2012年财务报告呈交州议会辩论。根据 如此推理，相信其他州属如果在近期召开州议会，也可能面对同样问题，州议会在对2012年州政府财务总结前，必须就辩论和通过2014年财政预算案。这显 然是黑箱作业，州议会必须被瞒着眼睛，投票通过财政预算案。