In the wake of speculation that the 2017 Budget would provide tax exemption for first-time car buyers, Rafizi said he had campaigned since 2012 for excise taxes to be abolished.

“Not once did any Umno or BN minister admit that my call had merit. Instead, they made accusations and attacked me with all kinds of names,” he said in a statement.

He said the opposition proposal was derided as causing the country to go bankrupt. Rafizi said Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Razak had copied Pakatan’s proposals with a 2013 election campaign promise to cut car prices by 30 percent in stages.

“When they were attacking me, they were also stealing my ideas,” said Rafizi.

News reports today speculated that a proposed tax exemption would reduce car prices by RM300 to RM2,000. “Now Najib has copied my idea again but will not admit it,” he added.

He said BN ministers knew that opposition ideas would benefit the people and the economy but were “too arrogant to admit the fact”.

“Because of their arrogance, our suggestions were not implemented earlier, that is in 2012 when I first suggested it; instead we have to wait five years till 2017.”