Shahidan: Najib will be a traitor if he rejects Budget 2021

PARLIAMENT | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak will be a traitor to the people if he rejects Budget 2021, according to Perikatan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairperson Shahidan Kassim.

"Anyone who rejects the budget (in the Dewan Rakyat), including my friend from Pekan (Najib) will be a traitor to the people because the people are waiting for the budget," Shahidan said in his budget debate.

"Some have said that one or two (in PN) will not support the budget and the government will collapse. Some raised (their) suspicions and linked them to veteran politicians who were born before us.

"Pekan (MP Najib), Bagan Datuk (MP and BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) and Gua Musang (MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) had joined politics before we were born. But we made these allegations (against them)," he said.

Shahidan said everyone in Perikatan Nasional and BN would vote en bloc for the budget to be passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 26.

"Once they joined BN and as long as BN is with PN, then we will stay with PN. All of us, the 112 MPs, with the exception of Gerik (MP Hasbullah Osman)," he said.

“Hence, it is untrue that we will not support the budget, including Padang Rengas (Nazri Abdul Aziz). To the opposition, if you don’t want to support the budget, don’t come to Parliament, just go somewhere else.

“For me, I want to state my undivided support for the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and support for the budget," Shahidan added.

Najib, who is also the BN backbencher chairperson said in his budget speech that the BN would only support the budget if the government agreed to extend the loan moratorium and allow withdrawals of RM10,000 from the Employee's Provident Fund.

Annuar: Toe party line, or else

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa similarly issued a warning to party MPs who were thinking of voting against the Supply Bill.

This comes after Tengku Razaleigh told The Malaysian Insight that lawmakers were elected to be accountable to their constituents and should not merely follow party orders when deciding on the budget.

The Umno advisory council chairperson also opined it was “undemocratic” to restrict MPs to a party line.

At a press conference this morning, Annuar dismissed the remarks as Tengku Razaleigh’s “personal view” and said those who voted against the party line risked electoral consequences.

“By convention, MPs are chosen by the party and we are responsible for supporting the party’s decision. We also use the party whip system where if the party makes a decision, the chief whip gives orders and we vote following the whip’s orders.

“If any party members act individually, we won’t need them when the election comes. The party will also make its own decisions if they do not follow the party (decisions).

“If we don’t want to abide by the party’s decisions, we need to be prepared to face certain consequences,” Annuar remarked.

Umno president and BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously said that all 43 BN MPs will pledge their support for Budget 2021.

The budget goes to a vote next Thursday (Nov 26) and it is largely seen as a litmus test of PN’s Dewan Rakyat majority.

According to Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution, any prime minister who loses the confidence of a majority of MPs must resign. Alternatively, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can dissolve the Parliament, paving way for fresh elections. - Mkini