KUALA LUMPUR – After yesterday’s call for MPs to vote on Budget 2021 with their conscience, Umno MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the party’s lawmakers will back the spending plan, reported The Star.
He said the only exception would be Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Nazri said the Budget must be approved because the government needs the funds to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, pay civil servants and help the people.
“Rest assured, we will vote for the Budget to be approved. We cannot withhold it, as this will affect funding in the fight against Covid-19,” the Padang Rengas lawmaker was quoted as saying.
“It is a commitment by us, regardless of party lines. It is not about supporting the present prime minister. We must forget party affiliation. We are only supporting the Budget, and this does not mean anything else.”
In a rare show of unity yesterday, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh appeared in a joint press conference calling on MPs to “vote with their conscience”.
Pakatan Harapan issued a statement shortly afterwards, urging MPs to reject the Budget during its third and final reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The Budget was passed at the policy stage on November 26.
Today, MPs will debate on the budget for another two ministries – the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry – at the committee stage. Allocations for other ministries have been passed. – The Vibes, December 15, 2020
