PARLIAMENT approved funding for three more ministries today, without the opposition calling for a division vote.

A total of RM4.79 billion is provided for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, RM10.2 billion for the Ministry of Rural Development, while the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources will receive RM2.1 billion.

It was the first day, since the house started debating Budget 2021 at committee level, that the opposition did not call for a division vote.

Funding has now been approved for eight ministries, which will form part of the budget, with finances for 19 more ministries yet to be approved before the Budget 2021 is put to the vote for the third time.

Earlier, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Shamsul Anuar Nasarah told the house that the government will come out with a new model to help zoos survive the economic setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government is studying a new model for zoos. As you know, the government does not own any zoos and is only responsible for giving out licences,” he said, in response to a question by Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) on the future of Zoo Negara.

“The ministry will summon Zoo Negara representatives tomorrow to understand the issues that they are facing and to raise certain questions that may arise,” Shamsul said.

Last month, Zoo Negara zoology, veterinary and giant panda conservation centre director Mat Naim Ramli said the zoo only had enough emergency funds to last for three months.

He said that in the early stage of the movement control order (MCO), Zoo Negara (under the Malaysian Zoological Society) was able to pay for the upkeep of 5,137 animals through the Adopt an Animal programme.

He said that the RM1.3 million given by the government in April was only able to cover operating expenses for one month, with RM689,000 used to pay for panda insurance and the rest going to animal food and medical costs.

Naim said the government helped many zoos during the first wave of Covid-19, “but we have not received any assistance since the CMCO started on October 14”.

He said the zoo’s closure the CMCO came into effect made it difficult to meet operating costs, which total about RM1 million per month. – December 2, 2020.