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KUALA LUMPUR – The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government passed yet another test in the Dewan Rakyat today when the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s budget allocation at the committee stage was voted through.
A total of 109 MPs from the ruling coalition supported the budget, while 96 voted against it, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun announced in the House.
Fifteen other lawmakers were not present during the count.
Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon had initially put up the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s budget for a simple voice vote, before opposition members stood up seeking a bloc vote instead.
This is the sixth ministry’s budget that has passed through a division vote, with nine others passed via a simple voice vote, since November 30.
Apart from today’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, the others that have been passed through bloc voting were the Prime Minister’s Department, Finance, Plantation Industries and Commodities, International Trade and Industry, and Transport.
The closest the opposition bloc got to defeating PN at the committee stage of the Supply Bill was for the International Trade and Industry Ministry, which is helmed by Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
PN managed to obtain 110 votes in support, just six more than the opposition’s 104. – The Vibes, December 8, 2020
