Anwar says he nixed division vote for MPs to study budget changes

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 27 Nov 2020 6:37PM · 3 Comments

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been called to explain why he had stopped his side from enabling a division vote for the supply bill for the budget. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 27, 2020.

OPPOSITION leader Anwar Ibrahim said he instructed the Amanah and DAP chiefs not to vote against the national budget yesterday because he wished for the MPs to study the amendments to the bill.

“Although Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu felt that there was a need to call for division voting, I decided to say no as the opposition leader and Pakatan Harapan chairman,” Anwar said in a statement today.

“This is so that MPs can study Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz’s announcements more closely,” said the PKR president, referring to the changes to the spending plan presented yesterday by the finance minister.

He said MPs had to question whether the additional allocations that were announced yesterday were subtracted from other areas.

He said MPs also needed to know exactly how much was the budget and its impact on the country’s finances.

“The mechanisms for EPF withdrawal and loan moratorium need to be examined more closely.”

He said there was still a chance to vote down the budget when parliament debates the plan at the committee stage next week. 

“I must add here that this is the first time the national budget has been amended like that.

“This is a sign that Perikatan Nasional will do whatever it takes to stay in power,” said Anwar.

“But for the Malaysians who have lost their jobs and for those getting additional allocations such as Sabah, fishermen, farmers and Covid-19 front liners, they will be pleased with yesterday’s announcement.”
 
After vowing to oppose the budget, Pakatan Harapan as a bloc did not call for a division vote at policy stage yesterday. Only 13 MPs from Pejuang and Amanah stood up yesterday to ask for the votes to be counted.

The bill was subsequently passed by voice vote. – November 27, 2020.

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Comments

  • DSAI you nix in understanding the issue and now they have the upper hand so literally you have missed the boat as usual.

    Posted 3 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • It just showed Anwar is lacking leadership qualities to be the PM, something that Mahathir been saying all along.

    Posted 3 years ago by YUSHRI ZAINUDIN · Reply

  • This fellow thinks that the agenda of the nation is for him to become PM....and he would do anything to achieve this including selling his soul and something else to the devil....this cunning schemer deliberately waited till 15 mins before the vote to send out his directive to the opposition to catch them by surprise so that they wont have much time to seek clarifications or object to his last minute directive....this fellow has pulled his stunts too often and yet stupos in the DAP are willing to be led by him....including self professed Christians who should know better than to support a morall
    y compromised and sexually ambivalent person like him.Shame on HY and BY.

    Posted 3 years ago by The Rover · Reply