KUCHING: Voters must vote wisely during the coming 15th General Election (GE15), said Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief, Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
He said this when commenting on a statement by Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) Youth (Armada) chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal that the momentum gained after 2021 Budget approval meant the Bersatu-led government would seek a two-thirds majority in the next general election.
The Supply Bill was passed with a voice vote, based on lawmakers verbally indicating whether they supported the budget or not.
Snowdan pointed out that the 2021 Budget and the Supply Bill had been passed largely due to a bipartisan vote by both political divides.
The bipartisan vote, he said, was probably prompted by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s eight-month-old administration’s tangible success in the war against Covid-19.
“Much as the threats are felt, the cushioning effects in encountering the pandemic in the form of economic stimulus packages and aid are also felt by the people nationwide,” added Snowdan, who is also the Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports.
The Balai Ringin assemblyman said 2021 Budget was passed at the policy stage despite a thin two-seat majority by Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the parliament.
“Our parliamentarians saw the need for the Budget to go through and invoked stand down whereby only 13 out of the 15 stood for block vote.
“Apparently, this allowed for a voice vote. Maturity on the part of our MPs came to the rescue. That matters much for our federal administration to function effectively.
“But this shouldn’t be a benchmark of confidence. The maturity and impartiality displayed in the parliament showed us that “Ours” reign over ‘Us”,” he pointed out.
Snowdan said voters would respond to the sincerity and the boldness of the government in resolving their woes instead of power tussles and personal agendas during the coming general election.
