PAKATAN Harapan has six demands to the Perikatan Nasional government in order for the opposition to support the Budget 2021 which will be tabled on Friday.

The opposition bloc said they have forwarded these demands in their meeting with Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz today.

Among the main demands was to increase the allocation for the health ministry to increase their resources to combat Covid-19 pandemic and compensate front liners.

PH said the additional allocation can be used to “diverse candidate vaccine acquisition and deployment to the most at-risk population.”

“Compensating front liners fairly and absorbing current contract officers into permanent posts,” PH said in a statement today.

PH added that the additional allocation can be used to increase the number of temporary healthcare workers including nurses, sanitising staff and contact tracers, and for special allocation to tackle the Covid-19 crisis in Sabah.

The statement was signed by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution.

PH also demanded for the loan moratorium to be extended till March 31, 2021 to help Malaysians ease with the economic crunch.

The six-month moratorium implemented to help Malaysians wade through economic hardship ended last month.

Other recommendations include increasing welfare aid to RM1,000 a month, wage subsidy to be extended till March end and continuing the Malaysia@work incentives for employer-employees.

“Carrot and stick approach for sectors which are doing well, e.g. glove and medical devices sectors, to increase the number of local workers,” the coalition said.

PH also proposed to increase spending for education as schools and universities were currently disrupted by the pandemic.

They also asked for two projects – the National Fiberisation Connectivity Plan (NFCP) to increase internet reach in the nation and the upgrading water infrastructure for Selangor, Kelantan and Pahang – to be continued.

PH remained cautious on working together with PN and stressed this was not in any way legitimising the government which came into power without elections.

“However, PH reiterates that this consultative process does not imply any PH support or acceptance of the present federal government but to work together for a unity budget that benefits both the nation, our national economy and the rakyat,” the statement read.

The opposition also said they are agreeable to the unity budget as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong decreed.

“This unity budget is crucial in upholding the royal decree rejecting an emergency proclamation for the country and avoiding snap general elections which will only worsen the current third wave of Covid-19 infections,” PH said.

The Agong earlier last week advised all politicians to support Budget 2021 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic as the funds are crucial for medical supplies and front-liners.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday also urged all political parties to put aside their differences and come together to vote for a budget to fight the pandemic. – November 1, 2020.