Youth chief: Warisan MPs undecided on whether to join budget bloc vote

 

Warisan Youth chief Azis Jamman says the party has yet to decide on the nature of its participation should there be a bloc vote for the third reading of Budget 2021.

This comes after Pakatan Harapan called on all MPs to vote down the budget tomorrow.

Speaking to Malaysiakini tonight, the Sepanggar MP said they are awaiting directions from party president Shafie Apdal.

“We haven’t decided yet [...]

“Our president (Shafie) will give his directive. But as far as we all know, we will go en bloc for Warisan. Whatever our president decides, we will go along (with it),” Azis said.

The party previously broke ranks with Harapan by boycotting several committee-stage budget bloc votes out of frustration at opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

This was after the PKR president issued an eleventh-hour directive not to seek a bloc vote for the supply bill during the policy stage.

Shafie Apdal

Shafie has since called for the need for a change in opposition leadership.

Warisan’s eight MPs in the Dewan Rakyat are Azis, Shafie (Semporna), Isnaraissah Munirah Fakharudy (Kota Belud), Ahmad Hassan (Papar), Mohammadin Ketapi (Lahad Datu), Ma’mun Sulaiman (Kalabakan), Darell Leiking (Penampang) and Rozman Isli (Labuan).

Azis confirmed that all have arrived in Kuala Lumpur following last weekend’s Warisan annual general assembly in Sabah.

“We are all on standby,” he added.

Party whip Rozman also indicated that Shafie and the Warisan team would be in the House tomorrow.

“My president is back in Kuala Lumpur and attended Parliament today. And we were reminded by him to be in Parliament tomorrow,” he said when contacted tonight.

Tomorrow will see the last two Budget 2021 committee-stage votes before one final vote for its third reading.

Harapan has announced plans to call for a bloc vote for the final vote.

The budget vote is regarded as a proxy confidence vote on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The divided opposition has thus far failed to dislodge Muhyiddin despite the Bersatu president’s fragile majority in the House.

Earlier today, independent Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad held a surprise press conference with Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah where the former raised the possibility that the Perikatan Nasional government might fall tomorrow. - Mkini