PKR lawmaker Wong Chen said rumours are rife that some opposition MPs will support Budget 2021, while some lawmakers in Umno will not.

The Subang MP said such is the talk among politicians, even though the opposition has voiced disagreement with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s maiden budget.

“Rumours are on overdrive that some Umno MPs will not vote, and on the other hand, I too have heard rumours of some opposition MPs will support the budget in return for MP resources and allocations,” Wong said in a Facebook post.

Budget 2021, which was tabled earlier this month, will be put to a vote at the policy stage this afternoon despite there being objections from both sides of the divide.

Wong added that the vote will be important to determine the government’s majority and in making it clear where the allegiances of respective MPs lie. 

“Whatever happens, this budget vote will be so important to help clear the political fog that started after the back-door government took power in February 2020. The decision today will clear the air about who is actually supporting whom. 

“It may look like a political game of thrones for MPs, but there will be serious repercussions to Malaysian democracy and to the people,” Wong said. 

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa also echoed the same sentiment but cast his views in terms of betraying the people.

He said the vote later today will reveal which MPs are “traitors” of the people by rejecting the budget.

“BN MPs made a stance to support the budget because they realise how important it is. When BN was the opposition, we did not reject the budget. What more if rejecting the budget causes instability, the people will be victims.

“This evening, we will see who will betray the people,” he tweeted. 

The Umno lawmaker for the Ketereh seat said all MPs should vote “yes” at the policy stage, as amendments could later be made.

“The opposition have said they do not reject the entire budget. If that is the case, we should support the vote today as it is still at the policy stage, there are no amendments yet. If the budget is not passed today, the amendments cannot be made,” said Annuar. 

The supply bill tabled has received brickbats from various lawmakers, including those from the government. Among the biggest critics are both former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Najib Razak.

Several Umno lawmakers, including Najib, have demanded for the budget to be amended to include an extended moratorium for loans and for larger withdrawals from the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) to aid people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opposition, meanwhile, has mooted a confidence and supply agreement (CSA) to support the budget in return for equal parliamentary allocations amounting to RM3.9 million per constituency.

There are 222 seats in Dewan Rakyat, but only 220 are occupied after the deaths of the Batu Sapi and Gerik MPs.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had counted 113 members on his side. – November 26, 2020.