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KUALA LUMPUR – The vote on Malaysia’s budget in Parliament, scheduled for Thursday (November 26), which could decide the fate of Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, will be delayed until next week on December 1.
Official sources told The Straits Times that Parliament cannot make a decision on the supply bill, Malaysia’s largest, as about half of the ministries have yet to respond to issues raised during debate at the Low camera.
The process is being delayed in large part due to the fact that procedures are shortened and ended at 2 p.m. every day instead of at night to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19.
“There are 16 ministries that have not been closed. We have to give the necessary time,” said a government official who declined to be named, as the matter had not yet been formally disclosed to parliamentarians.
There has been a heated debate since the government introduced the 2021 Budget on November 6, which has only a small majority of two in the 220-member Lower House.
Lawmakers on both sides of the floor have threatened not to support the supply bill unless a series of amendments are made, such as an extended loan moratorium, increased withdrawals from mandatory retirement savings, and larger donations from cash.
This despite the fact that the king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, has repeatedly asked politicians to guarantee his approval for the battle against Covid-19 and the economic consequences of the pandemic to be resolved.
Significantly, several MPs from Umno, the largest member of the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN), have indicated their unwillingness to support Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s budget.
These include former Prime Minister Najib Razak and the country’s oldest MP, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is the head of the party’s advisory council.
The delay in the vote could give the government more time to adjust allocations and negotiate with dissidents.
Additionally, a Umno MP, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, is in quarantine after traveling to Kuala Lumpur from Covid-19 ravaged Sabah, and will only be able to attend Parliament next week.
On Tuesday, the opposition complained that another deputy from the Sabah government was allowed to attend Parliament despite failing to complete the 14-day quarantine period ordered by health authorities.
Mr. Jeffrey Kitingan insists that the Ministry of Health granted him a special dispensation.
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