KUALA LUMPUR: The first national budget under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government was passed at the Dewan Rakyat today after it received support of the majority the MPs through bloc voting.
The 2021 budget or the Supply Bill, tabled for the third reading by Minister of Finance Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, was passed after 111 MPs voted in favour, 108 against, and one MP was absent.
The bill had undergone 10 days of debate and winding up by every ministry at the committee stage after it was passed at the policy stage on Nov 26.
Prior to this, nine ministries had also faced bloc voting before their respective budgets were passed.
They were the Finance Ministry; Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry; Federal Territories Ministry; International Trade and Industry Ministry; Prime Minister’s Department; Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry; Transport Ministry; Housing and Local Government Ministry; and Communications and Multimedia Ministry.
An allocation totalling RM322.5 billion was proposed under the national budget for 2021, making it the biggest ever in the country’s history, mainly to help the government to handle and cushion the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the people and the country.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama
