BY supporting Budget 2021, Pakatan Harapan showed that it endorsed the government, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister said the opposition’s plan to oppose the budget at committee level would not have   any significant impact on the government or on the proposed budget.

“It is just an attempt to divert the attention of the people who are disappointed in the attitude of the opposition,” Dr Mahathir said on his blog today.

The supply bill passed the policy stage yesterday by voice vote. It has to pass two more stages and may accommodate further changes.

Only 13 lawmakers from Pejuang, including Dr Mahathir, and Amanah stood up to urge for a division vote – two votes short of the required  15 to carry the motion through.

Dr Mahathir said the “backdoor government” led by prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was not elected by the people.  

“Manipulation was done to seize power from the government of the people’s choice.

“And if that wasn’t enough, the Sabah government, which was clearly elected by the people, was also seized by forcing state elections to be held,” he said.

He said the Perikatan Nasional government had to bribe MPs to stay in power.

“During the budget debate yesterday, we found that not only parties in the ruling coalition supported the budget but most of the opposition MPs as well.

“That is strange because the opposition had hoped to overthrow Muhyiddin with a vote of no-confidence in parliament,” he said, referring to the prime minister.

Dr Mahathir said no less than 25 motions of no-confidence were submitted.

“However, when the budget was tabled, the opposition said they will support it. Some leaders came to see me the day before to express their opposition.

“But this did not happen. When asking to hold a split vote, only 13 members of the opposition stood, two less than the required number.  Then the budget was passed with a surplus of votes.”

He said this had naturally given rise to suspicions that the opposition had been bought.

If this were true, he said it meant corruption had reached “a very dangerous level” in the country.

“Everything can be bought with money, including the government.

“The people’s elected government can be bought and overthrown because the elected representatives of the people are willing to accept bribes as we saw happen in Sabah.  

“A government that is not elected by the people can seize power and continue to rule the state and the country.”

Dr Mahathir accused the opposition of compromising its principles and selling the people’s support for its own interests.

“Pejuang will continue to reject this budget. This is because we do not see it bringing the country any long-term benefits (and resolutions to) the worsening economic problems caused by Covid-19.

“There are no plans to revive and grow the economy – only to hand out money and more money to win the hearts of the people. It is a mystery how the government can continue to do this (give away money).”

He added that a government that gained popularity via bribery was no different from the kleptocratic government Pakatan Harapan had overthrown as both will destroy the country.. – November 27, 2020.