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PETALING JAYA: Political analysts have said that while the so-called Unit Budget proposed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) seems to indicate cooperation between the government and the opposition, it remains to be seen how united the factions really are.
Tunku Mohar Mokhtar of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) said that while six demands made by PH were worth examining, it was now up to Perikatan Nasional (PN) to consider the suggestions, if the ruling coalition wanted support for the “Budget Unit”.
He said Malaysians would have to wait and see if PH would keep its word in supporting a budget that included their requests.
He said the use of an ultimatum by the opposition was a canny move. “He tells PN that PH is not giving a blank check to any type of budget that PN will present in Parliament.”
IIUM’s Syed Arabi Idid said early discussions had demonstrated “the prime minister’s willingness to listen or be inclusive.” However, Syed Arabi said he does not expect things to go well even though the budget has been labeled as a unit budget.
“The true colors will be seen when the budget proposal is presented and the discussion takes place in Parliament,” he said, adding that he expects some pushback from the opposition to satisfy his constituents.
“It will produce intense debate and scrutiny before the House votes on it.”
Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said that the “inclusiveness” of the proposal should help the budget pass, and said the PN should continue to work with opposition parties to maximize the chances of this happening.
“I’m sure consulting each party, including PH, will increase the chance that the budget will be approved.”
He added that he expects “some modifications” to be made to PH requests during the discussion process.
