THE Dewan Rakyat has approved the RM1.2 billion budget for the Ministry of International Trade and Industry with 110 votes versus 104 votes after a heated debate over its Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) allocations.

There were six absentees with no abstentions.

During the committee debate today, Madius Tangau (Tuaran-Upko), Dr Ong Kian Ming (Bangi-PH) and Ahmad Maslan (Pontian-BN) asked why the ministry had to budget RM25 million for Apec for next year when the meeting had concluded last month.

Ahmad also asked why the cost for hosting Apec was so high when most of the meetings were held online.

“The RM25 million is meant to pay for commitments already approved by the government next year,” said senior minister (MITI) Mohamed Azmin Ali during his winding-up speech today.

Azmin told Parliament that the government spent RM233.4 million in total to host Apec.

“This is lower than the initial RM635 million budget given to MITI in 2018,” said the Gombak MP.

In 2019 and 2020, Pakatan Harapan slashed the budget for the event to RM350 million and RM300 million respectively, he added.

“But we have only spent RM66.6 million and returned RM233.4 million to the Ministry of Finance,” said Azmin.

On the cost for Apec, Azmin said that although the summit was only held last month, there were up to 146 meetings held since the first in Langkawi in December 2019.

“The RM66.6 million was given to ministries with RM7 million to MoF and RM4.1 million to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to organise the events.

“Another RM53 million was used to hold the meetings,” said Azmin.

The Dewan Rakyat has passed nine ministry budget allocations before the third reading vote on December 15. – AFP, December 3, 2020.