Budget 2021 vote this week, Umno's loyalty to be tested

 

After two weeks of debate in Parliament, the first vote on Budget 2021 is expected to be held this week.

This will be a crucial test for the ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition, especially on whether or not it still has support from Umno.

Ministers will begin wrapping up the policy stage debate on Budget 2021 on Monday.

If all goes according to schedule, the finale will be on Thursday, after which there will be the vote on the budget.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had advised lawmakers to support the supply bill, but the situation still appears to be fluid.

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has said that BN will only support the budget if there are a blanket loan moratorium extension and permission for an up RM10,000 withdrawal from an individual's Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Account 1.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, has indicated that the government has made adjustments to the EPF plan, which were acceptable.

The EPF had announced that those who lost their jobs, were given no-pay leave, or have no other source of income can withdraw up to 10 percent of their Account 1 savings as long as they have a minimum of RM100 in their savings.

However, Zahid is also calling for the government to put Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's control of the Lower House to the test.

Voting down the budget has been viewed by some as a proxy for a no-confidence vote against the prime minister.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has also called on MPs to vote using their conscience. The Umno veteran had also been pushing for a no-confidence vote to be debated.

Umno's support for the PN government has been fluctuating over dissatisfaction that it had not been treated with the respect it deserves as the biggest party in the loose ruling coalition.

Muhyiddin currently only commands the support of 112 MPs in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat. There are also two vacancies following the death of a government and opposition lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the opposition has shown signs that they may not back the budget despite efforts by Putrajaya to make it look like they want bipartisan support.

One issue of contention is the budget's RM85.5 million allocation for government propaganda unit Jasa.

Opposition MPs had 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.

If the budget survives a vote this week, it is still not yet the end of the road.

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

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

However, Pakatan Harapan had in 2017 mounted a surprise ambush during the committee stage of Budget 2018 and narrowly lost by just one vote. - Mkini