Klang MP Charles Santiago questioned why Putrajaya is tapping the National Trust Fund when RM3 billion was allocated for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines under Budget 2021.
Charles said the government should explain if this was an additional injection of funds.
“Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has to be open, accountable and transparent in the way the government has used the funds in the public interests.
“Let there be public scrutiny of the existing expenditure,” he said.
Yesterday, the government invoked its emergency powers to tap the National Trust Fund for the purchase of vaccines.
This was done by amending the National Trust Fund (KWAN) Act 1988. By convention, Parliament approval is required but the legislature is suspended and Putrajaya is now governing by decree.
The National Trust Fund was accumulated over the past decades, largely from contributions by national oil company Petronas.
“The fund is specifically dedicated for the future, why tamper with it now.
“Is the government facing a funds shortage such that it has to use funds dedicated for the future?” he said.
According to the National Trust Fund Report 2018, tabled in Parliament in 2020, the fund has a total size of RM17.4 billion.
Charles questioned the extent to which Putrajaya intends to use its emergency powers to spend the money.
The DAP lawmaker said the government should convene a Parliament sitting and seek funding through a supplementary budget that is scrutinised by the legislature.
Last month, Putrajaya also invoked emergency powers to come up with supplementary budgets and tap into consolidated funds without the approval of Parliament. - Mkini
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