29 March 2024, Friday | 09:00pm

2021 Budget passes committee stage

2020-12-15

KUALA LUMPUR: Attempts by the Opposition to shoot down the 2021 Budget after weeks of heated debate were foiled when it was passed by the Dewan Rakyat today.

It was passed through a majority bloc voting with a total 111 members of parliament (MPs) voting in favour of the government and 108 against it.

"Meanwhile, one MP was not present," said Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun in announcing the results.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who earlier presided over the session, put the Budget to a vote at about 3.30pm in accordance with Dewan Rakyat Standing Order 66 (4).

Opposition MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar (Pakatan Harapan-Pokok Sena) had earlier called for bloc voting for the 2021 Budget, with over 15 MPs standing up in support.

It was learnt that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (BN-Gua Musang) was not present during the voting process.

Opposition members had failed to call for bloc voting during the policy stage, after it did not meet the required minimum number of 15 MPs.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim then admitted that he had asked MPs to stand down, to apparently allow amendments to the Bill by the government, and said the Opposition would move to defeat it at the committee stage.

The RM322.5 billion 2021 Budget was tabled by the Finance Minister on Nov 6, the first since the Perikatan Nasional administration came into power.

Source: New Straits Times

 

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