KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s revised Budget 2023 has sailed through the Dewan Rakyat at the policy stage through a voice vote today.
The RM386.14 billion budget, tabled on February 24 by Anwar, also finance minister, will next be put through the committee stage when the Dewan Rakyat resumes on Monday.
At around 7.40pm, Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul called for a voice vote after Anwar completed the finance minister’s winding-up speech on the budget, which had gone through debate for the last three weeks.
MPs present gave a clear “Setuju!” (agree) when asked by Johari, while the floor was silent when the speaker asked if there were any nays.
Few MPs from Perikatan Nasional (PN) were present during Anwar’s winding up speech and the vote, as earlier in the day, many of them had gone to Putrajaya to show support for PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who was being questioned at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters.
During the committee stage, MPs will be allowed to scrutinise in detail budget allocations for all ministries before a voting session, prior to the supply bill being tabled for the final approval or third reading.
The revised budget is the first of its kind under Anwar’s administration and also features the nation’s largest development expenditure of RM99 billion, amid predictions that government revenue will drop slightly to RM291.5 billion or 15.4% of the nation’s gross domestic product.
In his winding up speech, Anwar stressed that accusations of his government apparently forgetting the plight of impoverished citizens are “baseless and untrue”.
“We must look into our responsibilities to make sure that the majority of people are able to benefit from wealth distribution measures.
“The government will utilise its manpower and resources to the best of its ability to make sure we are able to put an end to hardcore poverty,” he said to rousing cheers from MPs in the august hall.
It appeared that a good number of opposition MPs, mainly those from PN, were not in the lower House to take part in the vote. Many had shown up at the MACC headquarters to show their support for Muhyiddin.
MACC has since confirmed that the Pagoh MP was arrested today after being summoned to give his statement into the investigations towards the government’s Jana Wibawa initiative introduced while he was prime minister.
The anti-graft body also stated that the Bersatu president and PN chairman will face several charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amla) Act 2001 (Act 613) and Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009. – The Vibes, March 9, 2023
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