Harapan calls on all MPs to defeat Budget 2021 tomorrow

 

Pakatan Harapan has urged all MPs to reject Budget 2021 during the final vote at its third reading tomorrow.

The call was made in a statement signed by secretaries-general Saifuddin Nasution (PKR), Hatta Ramli (Amanah) and Anthony Loke (DAP) this evening.

"Harapan previously said it will debate Budget 2021 at the policy and committee stage and will conduct a bloc vote during the third reading.

"This will happen tomorrow.

"Thus Harapan urges all MPs, whether on the opposition side or from the side that supports the government (but) who understand that this budget does not fulfil the objective and goal to combat Covid-19 and revive the economy; to choose to reject it during the third reading tomorrow," they said.

The statement came after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad put out a similar call to lawmakers and predicted that the Perikatan Nasional will fail the third reading of Budget 2021.

The Langkawi MP said so in a surprise joint press conference this afternoon with Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who hinted at the possibility of some Umno lawmakers turning against Perikatan Nasional.

At present, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin commands the support of 112 MPs in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat. There are also two vacancies.

Despite his fragile majority, the divided opposition has struggled to dislodge Muhyiddin.

Three defectors will be enough to bring down Muhyiddin's government but the opposition will have to rally behind a common prime ministerial candidate if it takes over.

Harapan and the four MPs in Mahathir’s camp make up 95 MPs at most.

Supposing Upko’s Wilfred Madius Tangau (Tuaran) and the two independents - Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar) and Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam) - heed the call to defeat the budget, this will bring the total to 98 MPs.

As a sign of protest against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over last-minute instructions during the Budget 2021 policy stage vote, Warisan’s eight MPs have not participated in any budget bloc votes so far.

The Sabah lawmakers have not indicated if they will participate in tomorrow's bloc vote. - Mkini