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PETALING JAYA: The first Perikatan Nasional (PN) budget narrowly entered the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, an indication that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s grip on power remains precarious.
Most analysts and political actors are of the opinion that yesterday’s vote was not an indication of support for Muhyiddin as prime minister.
The only voice to the contrary, Dr Jeniri Amir, who is a senior member of the Malaysian Teachers Council, noted that this gave Muhyiddin the opportunity to consolidate his position in the driver’s seat.
The 2021 budget passed its third and final reading on the Dewan Rakyat with 111 in favor. A total of 108 voted against and one deputy, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah from Gua Musang, was absent.
The RM322.54 billion supply bill, introduced on November 6, is Malaysia’s largest.
Describing it as an unexpected turn of events, political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that the approval of the Budget does not prove that the government has majority support.
“It does not appear to have consolidated the majority of the government and this means that there are definitely new elections on the plate if the Covid-19 pandemic can be contained.”
However, he said that the Opposition has remained fragmented, without clear leadership, adding that MPs who have shown dissatisfaction with Muhyiddin have chosen to allow a status quo.
Another political analyst, Professor Dr. Awang Azman Awang Pawi, said the point remains that PN has managed to maintain its position as a government.
“However, the truth is that the Budget received the necessary votes more on the need to ensure that the well-being of the people is protected, that workers are paid on time and that the country continues to develop,” he said.
He said this should be distinguished from any support Muhyiddin may have for his leadership.
“That can only be determined by a vote of confidence.”
Awang Azman said the slim majority was also an indication that the PN government is still fragile and uncertain and could collapse at any moment.
However, he does not rule out the possibility that the Muhyiddin administration will last his entire term “but this would only be possible through some form of political negotiation.”
Jeniri said the approval of the Budget has ensured Muhyiddin’s chances of continuing as prime minister.
“The main objective was to take him down, but this has not worked.
Klang MP Charles Santiago said Muhyiddin would continue to face pressure not only from the Opposition but also from his own camp.
“I may have no choice but to give in to some of their demands. That means he can be cornered and forced to make unpopular decisions, ”he said.
Bukit Melawati State Assemblyman Juwairiya Zulkifli said that while it is regrettable that the Opposition lost, it showed that the prime minister does not have a majority.
“It even got to a point where they allowed people in quarantine to breach standard operating procedures to make sure they had the numbers,” he said in reference to the appearance of Health Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba, the Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and Batu MP P. Prabakaran during the voting process for the Supply Bill despite being under a house surveillance order.
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