By Elishya Perera
KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia (CWBN)_ Malaysia’s Supply Bill 2021 cleared a final hurdle and passed its third reading in the Lower House division today (Dec 15), following weeks of uncertainty.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Nasional government was backed by 111 MPs, while a total of 108 MPs voted against the bill.
The RM322.54 billion (US$77.9 billion) budget, the largest budget in the history of Malaysia, will now be sent to the Senate, largely out of formality, before being submitted to the king for royal assent.
The passing of the Bill today was seen largely as a confidence vote on Muhyiddin’s leadership, as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has continued to claim parliamentary majority for the past three months.
The Prime Minister also faced pressure from his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who called the current government “weak”, and expressed his concerns regarding the political instability, which he claimed is exacerbating the economic downturn brought about the pandemic.
Prior to the Bill being tabled on November 6, the opposition coalition declared six non-negotiable recommendations for the budget which included a special budget allocation to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Sabah, as well as an increase in the number of healthcare workers.
Other recommendations also focused on the economic impact of the pandemic, calling for an and extension in the loan moratorium, as well as the expansion in the social safety net.
Another point which sparked debate was an allocation of RM85.5 million (US$21.09 million) for the Community Communications Department (JKOM), who’s allocation was slashed to RM40.5 million (US$9.99 million) on December 10.
Image caption: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (Photo/Agencies)
