Hansard shows Shahidan didn't mention Najib in 'traitor' comment

 

Arau MP Shahidan Kassim had not said that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak would be a traitor if he rejected Budget 2021, according to the Parliament Hansard.

Instead, he had mentioned former health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad. This was confirmed in a review of the Parliament video by Malaysiakini.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini and several other media had erroneously quoted Shahidan (above) as saying that anyone who rejected the Budget, including his "friend, Pekan (Najib)" would be a traitor.

However, his actual remarks are as follows:

"Sesiapa sahaja yang menolak bajet ini, termasuk kawan saya bekas menteri kesihatan, tolak bajet, khianat rakyat sebabnya rakyat sedang menunggu." 

(Anyone who rejects the Budget, including my friend the former health minister, will be a traitor to the people because the people are waiting.)

He said this after Dzulkefly repeatedly tried to get permission from him to interject during the Budget 2021 debate.

Malaysiakini apologises for the error.

Taking to Facebook, Shahidan yesterday said the mix-up may have been due to his northern accent.

Earlier in his speech, Shahidan also said some had cast aspersions that Najib, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah would reject the budget.

However, he expressed confidence that the trio, as members of BN, would stick with Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Najib had said BN would only support the budget if the government agreed to extend the loan moratorium and allow withdrawals of RM10,000 from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Account 1.

The EPF has since allowed contributors who had lost their jobs, or have no financial means, to withdraw up to 10 percent from their Account 1. Zahid has hinted that this was acceptable.

Meanwhile, Zahid and Razaleigh are both pushing for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's control of Parliament to be tested.

The Umno president yesterday said the government should move a motion of confidence to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat. - Mkini