Budget 2021: Engagement sessions prove government's inclusiveness

KUALA LUMPUR: The engagement sessions conducted by the Perikatan Nasional in ensuring that the Supply Bill (RUU) 2021 (Budget 2021) is passed has been described as the best move.

According to Ilham Center Research Fellow, Associate Prof Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid, the effort has shown that a ruling government was open and also important in ensuring that the government is an inclusive one.

"If we look at why the engagement sessions took place, it is because the political scenario, especially the (slim) majority of the ruling party itself that allows this to happen.

“In the context of Barisan Nasional (BN) this time and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, this engagement, especially on the part of the PN, is because they need votes from MPs who are not from among them.

“This is important to ensure that the presentation of the 2021 Budget is accepted.

“However, the open engagement sessions as done by PN, there is no denying that this is a good effort in accepting the open situation of the ruling party. It is important to make the government inclusive,” he explained in the post-Budget 2021 discussion on Agenda AWANI last night.

However, Prof Hamidin said that the political episode that took place in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday saw leadership problems in the government and the opposition.

"The episode that is happening in the Dewan Rakyat at this time, in the context of the first stage voting of the Budget Bill this time is in the context of leadership.

“There is a leadership problem on both sides, for PN they need to be engaging the BN to ensure there are enough votes.

"The same problem is also in Pakatan Harapan (PH), they did not show uniformity of votes this afternoon (yesterday)," he said.