KUALA LUMPUR – The Prime Minister’s Department will get the RM6.947 billion allocated for it in Budget 2021 after MPs voted to allow it in bloc voting today.
More than 15 MPs today backed a call for bloc voting after the committee stage debates for Budget 2021.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun allowed for bloc voting and adjourned the sitting temporarily for it to be carried out.
However, many opposition MPs began shouting after Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru) entered the chambers, saying it was unfair for him to do so after the voting session ended.
Shouts of “pintu belakang (backdoor)”, “penipu (liar)” and “tidak adil (unfair)” were heard.
When the shouting died down, Azhar announced that 95 votes were against and 105 voted for it to pass.
According to Malaysiakini, some of the absentees during the bloc vote were Datuk Seri Najib Razak (BN-Pekan), Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (BN-Bagan Datuk), Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (BN-Gua Musang) and Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan (Star-Keningau).
Masir Kujat (PSB-Sri Aman), Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Tanjong), Awang Husaini Sahari (PKR-Putatan), Michael Teo (PKR-Miri), Christina Liew (PKR-Tawau) and all eight Warisan MPs were reportedly absent from the opposition bench.
Later, Takiyuddin’s motion to extend today’s sitting to 4pm was also approved.
Meanwhile, M. Kula Segaran (PH-Ipoh Barat) also suggested to Azhar that, before bloc voting is allowed, the House be told the number of voting MPs in the chamber.
“Now, it’s like goats and cows coming in as they like.” – The Vibes, November 30, 2020
