In a video on TikTok tonight, Rafizi responded to the MP’s criticism of the government for announcing its plan to implement a targeted RON95 petrol subsidy next year although Putrajaya had yet to finalise the definition of the T15 classification.

“A budget is the government’s statement of its plans and intentions for the year. As such, the figures announced are estimates and projections,” he said.

Rafizi explained that the government states its plans for income and expenditure based on early estimates of policies and projects to get Parliament’s approval.

“Once approved, the government uses this approval to work on the details of the projects to be implemented, including opening tenders, appointing contractors and so on.

“If we are to follow Syed Saddiq, in which everything must be detailed and confirmed before being announced in a budget, it will take us years to complete one budget. And we will have to print volumes of budget books for every MP.

“He should be familiar with this process, having once been the youngest minister ever,” Rafizi said.

Syed Saddiq had previously taken to X to say Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should not have mentioned the T15 group when tabling the 2025 budget if its definition had not been finalised.

“How could the government announce in the budget that the ‘mahakaya’ (extremely wealthy) enjoys RM8 billion in (RON95) petrol subsidies (a year)?

“Don’t ‘announce first, think later’. People’s lives are at stake,” the former Muda president said.