Pakatan Harapan has tabled its first-ever budget for the federal government today, but BN MPs generally treated it as an endorsement of their previous budgets.

Most BN MPs said that Harapan's Budget 2019 was a "copy and paste" job and was lacking in reforms, which was promised by the current administration.

Excerpts of opposition MPs' comments after the Budget 2019 speech follows:

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - Bagan Datuk MP, opposition leader and Umno president

There was not much different to what we tabled in the past. There was neither surprise nor miracles that people can relate to. There was no special allocation for farmers, fishermen and small plantation owners... In summary, the opposition rejects this budget.

Najib Abdul Razak - Pekan MP, former prime minister and former finance minister

Those who owe PTPTN money and earn RM1,000 (and above) will have their salary automatically deducted to pay for the loan. It seems that the promise to abolish PTPTN and to exclude those who earn less than RM4,000 from repaying PTPTN did not materialise... The minimum wage was set at RM1,050. So, nobody is excluded (from paying PTPTN).

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah - Gua Musang MP and former finance minister

I don't think there is anything new from what was tabled before. I expected something new. More on reforms... It is nothing than a repetition of what had happened in the past.

Noraini Ahmad - Parit Sulong MP and Wanita Umno chief

The budget that was presented today was an endorsement of the budget speeches by the previous BN governments. Some incentives such as the Bantuan Sara Hidup (living cost assistant) cash handouts were copied from the previous government.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man - Kubang Kerian MP and PAS deputy president

There wasn't a focus on developing the East Coast states. We (PAS) have to go through the budget (in detail) because (there looks like) there is nothing to generate new sources (of income).

Those on the government bench, however, believed that Budget 2019 had focussed on the lower income group and it also came as a surprise because it was expansionary.

However, MPs from Sabah believed that not enough money was being allocated for their state.

These are their comments in brief:

Mohamed Azmin Ali - Gombak MP and economic affairs minister.

Budget 2019 is a very responsible budget. The initiatives which covered education, housing and health had focus on the B40 and M40 groups. All ministries must be responsible in monitoring the allocation given so it reaches the targeted group without leakages.

Wong Chen - Subang MP

The budget is expansionary, which we did not expect. We had expected an austerity budget that is good to the economy [...] but we hope this budget will help push economic growth.

But there are a few things that are very pro-rakyat, this is very good.

But the question is are we spending on things that will become economic multipliers. Next week we will debate (the budget) and based on the finance minister's reply, we will know if the multiplier factor will come into play. I hope it does.

Darell Leiking - Penampang MP and international trade and industry minister

Sabah's share of the federal government grant prescribed under Schedule 10 of the Federal Constitution has not increased since the 1970s. Sabah should be getting 40 percent of the net revenue generated from the state by now. We will push for this during the debates.

We have to give (Harapan) a chance. This is their first year as the federal government and Malaysia has a lot of debts to pay.

Shafie Apdal - Semporna MP and Sabah chief minister.

For Sabah, the total allocation has gone up from RM4 billion to RM5 billion. I don't know the specifics. We can only see the total figure (for now).

We need more funds but we must be mindful of what is happening now. The government is facing debts. We udnerstand. But I do hope the fed govt will look into sectors that we tried our level best to promote, not only security but also in the education, health and plantation sectors.

Infrastructure - roads, water and electricity - is the most important to us. We also need more medicine, not just big hospitals and doctors.