Let's see who the traitors are this evening - BN sec-gen

 

Which lawmakers are traitors will come to light this evening, said BN secretary-general Annuar Musa.

He said MPs from his coalition know how important Budget 2021 is in maintaining stability.

"BN MPs made a stance to support the budget because they realise how important it is.

"When BN was the opposition we did not reject the budget. What more if rejecting the budget causes instability, the people will be victims.

"This evening we will see who will betray the people," Annuar (above) said in a tweet this morning.

The federal territories minister's remarks came ahead of a crucial vote on Budget 2021, scheduled for this evening.

Annuar's party, Umno, has been sending signals that they may consider withholding support for the budget unless their requests for an expanded EPF withdrawal scheme and automatic loan moratoriums for all B40 and M40, are taken up by the government.

Yesterday, Umno MPs including party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi met with Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to discuss their demands.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan - who was in the meeting - said they will be waiting for an announcement today.

Any possible announcement will likely be made when Zafrul wraps up the finance ministry's section of the policy stage this evening.

The budget vote has been seen as a proxy for a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin controls Parliament with just 112 votes against 108 from the opposition.

PN could lose one vote if Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin, who is said to be under quarantine, is not given an early release like Keningau MP Jeffrey Kitingan. 

However, sources close to Bung told Sinar Harian yesterday that he will be in Parliament today.

Another vote could be lost if Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (photo) - who is pushing for a no-confidence vote against the prime minister - abstains or rejects the Budget 2021.

If the budget survives the vote today, it is still not yet the end of the road.

Votes will be held during the committee stage of the bill's debate as well.

Usually, any effort to defeat the budget is only done during the policy stage, and the supply bill will pass through the committee stage with voice votes.

However, Pakatan Harapan had in 2017 mounted a surprise ambush during the committee stage, and narrowly lost by just one vote.

BN and PAS MPs likewise staged an ambush during the committee stage in 2019.

Opposition MPs had previously told Malaysiakini that in the event Budget 2021 was not passed, Article 102 of the Federal Constitution could be invoked to table a separate bill to authorise essential spending.

Essential spending could include civil servant emoluments and healthcare expenses needed to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini