[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Each MP should have the freedom and space to make their own decisions and vote on the 2021 budget based on their conscience, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (Photo).
The vice president of Umno said this should be done as Perikatan Nasional is formed with the support of MPs and not through formal partisan cooperation.
“So what is the need to insist on voting en bloc?
“Each deputy must make the best decision for the good of the people and not for the mere interest of the party,” he said on Saturday (November 21).
Differences of opinion are not a form of betrayal, he added.
“Instead, blindly following is the ultimate betrayal. The rakyat did not elect a deputy as a representative who is not in touch with the pulse of the voters,” Khaled said.
If a deputy is convinced that the allocations and initiatives in the 2021 Budget need improvement or do not meet the needs of the target groups, he should express his views even if such views are not in line with the party’s position or vision in block, he said.
Khaled added that the country must move towards the practice of bipartisan politics, which focuses on national consensus that transcends ideologies and political beliefs.
“It must be done to solve problems involving national interests,” he added.
Block support for a certain motion in parliament does not necessarily mean party strength, Khaled said.
“Instead, the party will be seen as lacking a variety of ideas, points of view and freedom to express those views democratically.
“The 2021 budget has many benefits, but it needs to be revised in order to improve it. Insyallah, if this is done, the parliamentarians will use their good conscience to vote democratically for the good of the rakyat and the country,” he added.
[ad_2]
