KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) has urged federal lawmakers from the Opposition bloc and government backbenchers to vote against the third reading of the Budget 2021 Bill in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow.
In urging lawmakers to reject Budget 2021, PH’s Secretariat Council said the Finance Ministry in its various media statements and round-up speech of the Budget failed to accommodate the various requests made by lawmakers and the public at large in regards to the people’s welfare.
This included issues such as the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal, bank loan moratoriums, assistance to frontliners and those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, children education, reduced income, unemployment and rising cost of living.
“PH had previously stated it will debate on Budget 2021 in the committee stage and subsequently call for a bloc vote during the third reading which is expected to take place tomorrow.
“Therefore, PH is urging all MPs, whether they’re Opposition members or government backbenchers who understood that the Budget failed to achieve its objectives in the fight against Covid-19, assisting the people and rejuvenating the economy, to reject it tomorrow,” it said in a statement.
The statement was co-signed by Parti Amanah Negara communication director Khalid Samad, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke.
Last month, Budget 2021 was approved in the policy stage after Parliament approved it via a voice vote when fewer than the 15 lawmakers needed to force bloc-voting rose to make their rejection known.
Just 13 Opposition MPs including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu stood up to try and force a bloc vote.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later said he instructed his side’s lawmakers to allow Budget 2021 through the policy stage as he did not want to be seen as blocking aid and concessions announced by the Perikatan Nasional government.
He suggested then that Pakatan Harapan will oppose the Budget in the committee stage, but the effort has now been thwarted as all ministerial allocations have since been approved.