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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Saturday (November 7) called for bipartisan cooperation to refine the country’s budget for next year and said he welcomed feedback that could benefit the public.
In an interview with the Astro Awani television news channel, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said that inclusion is necessary as the 2021 budget “is not for the government but for the rakyat (people).”
“Practicing inclusion is good, no matter with whom. We are ready for any comments and suggestions; we will observe and refine it,” he said.
Muhyiddin is also considering the possibility of expanding bipartisan cooperation beyond the 2021 Budget, by inviting the opposition to participate in some government meetings.
“For the next level, I am thinking of inviting the opposition to be part of the Economic Action Council, which I chair every week, or the meeting to manage Covid-19, which I chair every day. They can share their opinions if so They want to feel that the steps we have taken are ineffective.
“It’s not about giving them credit, it’s about people benefiting from their opinions,” he said.
This comes as the government has been criticized for allocating 85.5 million ringgit to resuscitate its propaganda arm: the Department of Special Affairs, or Jasa.
In 2018, the former ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact allocated RM30 million to the unit, which handles government communications.
Former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman tweeted on Friday (November 6): “Unfortunately, the allocation to repair exhausted schools has been reduced by 58 million ringgit. The allocation for mental health is only 24 million ringgit “.
BN used Jasa to target naysayers through so-called “cyber-roopers” who posted partisan messages online, but the Mahathir Mohamad administration abolished it after Pakatan Harapan (PH) came to power in 2018.
Democratic Action Party (DAP) general secretary and former finance minister Lim Guan Eng said on Saturday: “In a normal democracy, there is no place for a propaganda agency that uses public funds to spread lies and fake news.”
“Parliamentary rules provide for the finance minister to represent the government to amend the budget proposals. The DAP calls on the prime minister and the government to immediately publicly commit to withdrawing the allocation to Jasa if the government is sincere in seeking a unit budget “.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the government appears to be preparing, through its new budget, for the upcoming general elections.
“The government’s move to revive Jasa seems to be trying to ensure that political communication works smoothly. It also seems to want to avoid being in the same situation as PH, which had no communication machinery,” he told The Straits Times.
“It is difficult to say whether this (budget) is really meant to fight Covid-19, as it looks like an electoral budget – cash donations and some schemes being renamed … It is a misplaced priority because priority must be given to health sector, “he said.
Sunway University political scientist Wong Chin Huat said that with Muhyiddin putting the election before the pandemic, this could make him an easier target for Umno and PH when one is summoned.
“Despite his controversial rise to power, Muhyiddin has a great opportunity to emerge as a statesman. (But) due to insecurity and arrogance, he now gives the opposition a strong case to reject his budget,” he told The Straits Times, highlighting the moment. The truth will come when the budget is put to a vote on November 23.
By convention, the failure to pass the budget to finance the government is similar to a vote of no confidence that would lead to the collapse of the administration.
While Umno welcomed Jasa’s resurgence, party vice chairman Khaled Nordin said the huge allocation required further explanation.
“If there is a reasonable justification, then it is fine for the big allocation. Perhaps a weak government needs a bigger speaker,” he was quoted on Saturday by local news site Free Malaysia Today.
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