What does Malaysia’s 2017 budget crowdsourcing reveal?

Malaysia’s Prime Minister called on citizens to tell him what they want to see in the Budget this year. The crowdsourcing exercise has been hosted on the Prime Minister’s personal website.

It polls citizens on topics that are most important to them. Here is how this year’s poll has fared against the last two. Cost of living has consistently been the biggest concern over the three years. For 2017, housing, healthcare and education are the next biggest concern.

This is the fourth year Malaysia has crowdsourced ideas for the budget. The 20 most popular ideas all asked to absorb contractors in the public sector as permanent employees of the civil service.

They were liked over 6,400 times in total. In particular, citizens called for officials contracted by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism to ensure shops don’t charge unfair prices.

“I propose that these officers [be] appointed permanently because they are vital to monitor the prices of goods at the wholesale and retail trade and latest GST monitoring phases. All price data can be obtained easily and their services are very important in helping the government,” one citizen noted.

Others asked to reduce the goods and service tax, and prices of fuel and public transport. One asked for more affordable housing for middle income families.

Another asks for changes to the government’s financial aid scheme for low-income households to focus more on education, and healthcare.