KUALA LUMPUR – The opposition’s decision to allow Budget 2021 to be passed at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat does not mean that the same will be done at the committee stage and during the final reading.
Asserting this, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim explained that he had asked opposition MPs to let today’s voting to go through after taking into account several “new goodies” that were announced by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz for the people and frontliners.
However, he noted that many of the opposition’s demands are still unmet, including additional funding for their constituencies and more aid for the poor, he said.
Tengku Zafrul has also failed to elucidate the government’s growth and revenue projections, he added.
“I don’t want to be seen to be ignoring some of the measures taken (to assist the people). I feel that as the opposition, for now, we should allow the budget to be passed,” the PKR president and Port Dickson MP told reporters at Parliament building today.
“But there’s no guarantee we are going to approve (the budget in full). Because on Monday, it will be at the committee stage, where each item under every ministry will be deliberated on at length.
“We will certainly choose to reject and call for bloc voting when deemed necessary. And whether we are going to approve the budget as a whole will be (seen) in the third and final reading,” he said.
“As such, it’s still too early for them (the Perikatan Nasional government) to celebrate excessively. We (the opposition) are not thinking about political victory, but the question should be on victory for the people.”
Anwar said he had explained this decision to all 91 MPs, after a number of them raised their concern on his stand not to reject the Supply Bill.
They included DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is Bagan MP, and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu who is MP for Kota Raja.
Earlier, the budget was passed at the policy stage via a simple voice vote, after only 13 MPs supported a call by Datuk Seri Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) for a bloc vote.
There appeared to be confusion in the house as only MPs from Amanah and Pejuang stood up in support.
Anwar dismissed suggestions that the opposition’s decision to support the budget earlier was out of respect for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who had previously decreed for all MPs to back the bill.
“The palace made some indication in that regard, but they also talked about inclusivity (in the budget) which did not happen. To our view, the issue of Covid-19 was largely ignored.
“We do take cognisance of the Agong’s view, but our action (to possibly reject the budget at the next stage) does not necessarily run contrary to the spirit of the King’s message,” he said.
The PKR president also rubbished Tengku Zafrul’s claim during his winding-up speech that the government had consulted the opposition prior to the budget, claiming that this was only done once and without much deliberation.
“He’s claiming as though the budget was drafted after consulting us. Consulted who? I feel like he is not being honest,” Anwar said.
Meanwhile, Anwar told The Vibes that it is not right to object to or even support a bill that lacks clarity.
“It would have been irresponsible of us as MPs to vote on a bill that we don’t have details about,” he said of the RM322.5 billion budget — the nation’s largest ever.
“How is the government going to fund its initiatives? For example, the finance minister said that the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) would have its allocation slashed. But by how much? 50%? 5%?"
Jasa is the government propaganda unit under the Multimedia and Communications Ministry which was allocated RM85.5 million.
“These are the questions we will be asking at the committee stage and on December 15 we shall debate this,” said Anwar.
He said the opposition is mindful of the fact that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong had requested that a people-centric budget be passed.
“We must respect His Majesty’s wishes and we want to support a budget for the people. But this also means we as parliamentarians must be certain that it is indeed a budget for economic recovery and to fight Covid-19, and not a political budget that is exclusive to certain groups,” he added. – The Vibes, November 26, 2020
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