KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's position in power remains tenuous despite Budget 2021 being passed at the policy stage yesterday, said analysts.
Parliamentary observer Ong Ooi Heng said this was because the Bersatu leader and his administration still faced potential bloc voting from the opposition in the committee stage of the Budget in the coming weeks.
Ong said that with the third reading vote expected on December 15, the opposition coalition and Muhyiddin’s detractors have ample time to stage a defeat of the Budget.
He added that the committee stage of the Budget traditionally takes about 10 days before the final vote commences.
“If there is no delay, Parliament will vote again for the third reading (of the Budget), done similarly to today (yesterday),” Ong told The Vibes.
“If they vow to defeat the Budget upon getting enough support from bloc voting, this could lead to a vote of no confidence.”
Ong also said the opposition could still challenge and defeat certain allocations, such as the Budget to form the controversial Special Affairs Department (Jasa), which would be an embarrassment for the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and Muhyiddin’s administration.
Muhyiddin said yesterday that the passing of the Budget at the policy stage showed political maturity from government-aligned MPs.
“I would like to thank all Parliament members, including those from Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Parti Bersatu Sabah, who supported Budget 2021 up until the initial voting stage,” Muhyiddin said in a Facebook post.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had asked opposition MPs to let yesterday’s voting go through, but noted many of the opposition's demands, including funding for its constituencies and more aid for the poor, were still unmet.
Azmi Hassan, a recently retired geostrategist at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said the support displayed yesterday, especially from Umno MPs, is only meant for Budget matters.
“I don't postulate that the support on the bill equates to support for Muhyiddin as prime minister. Far from it,” he told The Vibes.
However, Azmi said he does not think PN MPs will rescind their original support at the committee level discussion on the Budget.
“So as far as the Budget will go through either at committee level or the Dewan Negara, the bill will not in any way be unable to go through,” he said.
“This is a clear example of how sensitive it is for MPs to oppose the bill is when PKR and DAP MPs agreed on a voice vote (to support the Budget) as they don't want to be accused of opposing the bill.”
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah – who earlier urged the MPs to provide their full support for the Budget to address the Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis – also expressed his gratitude to federal lawmakers for passing the Budget at the policy stage. – The Vibes, November 27, 2020
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