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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Saturday (October 31) called on all Members of Parliament to put aside their political differences to ensure that the 2021 budget is passed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let us prioritize the interest of the people above all other interests,” Muhyiddin said in a televised speech.
“A form of understanding between parliamentarians can be framed to ensure that the 2021 budget is approved with the support of the government and the opposition.”
This is Muhyiddin’s first live broadcast to the nation since the king rejected his proposal on October 25 to declare an emergency in Malaysia, in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases and political instability.
Parliament is scheduled to meet again on Monday and Muhyiddin’s first budget will be presented on November 6.
READ: Pakatan Harapan urges Prime Minister Muhyiddin to negotiate with the opposition before presenting the 2021 budget
The king had urged deputies to give “strong support” to the budget in the interests of the well-being of the people and the economic recovery of the country from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Muhyiddin stated that the budget would establish various appropriations for government agencies, assistance for individuals, and incentives for business, industrial and business sectors.
In his speech on Saturday, Muhyiddin also raised the issue of Batu Sapi’s upcoming parliamentary parliamentary elections in Sabah, as well as the Sarawak state elections.
“At the special meeting of the National Security Council that I chaired today (Saturday), the secretary of the Electoral Commission informed me that many poll workers expressed their concern about serving in the Batu Sapi by-elections, fearing infection,” he said.
Muhyiddin added that it is difficult to restrict the movement of voters, even those in red zones, from going to a green zone where they were registered to vote, as it is their constitutional right.
“Only if emergency is declared under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution in Batu Sapi and Sarawak, can we postpone these two elections until COVID-19 ends,” he said.
“If the elections cannot be postponed for any reason, my plea to the residents of Batu Sapi and Sarawak is to be careful. Take care of yourselves and pay attention to standard operating procedures with discipline when elections are held,” he said.
Malaysia has recorded 30,889 COVID-19 cases so far, with 799 new cases and three deaths reported on Friday.
Most of the cases have occurred in Sabah, with 14,053 cases and 114 deaths.
Meanwhile, the Johor Bahru district has been declared a COVID-19 red zone, an area with 41 or more cases in a span of two weeks.
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