All MPs allowed to witness tabling of Budget 2021 at Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR: All MPs were allowed entry to the Dewan Rakyat today to witness the tabling of Budget 2021 by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

The decision to allow all the MPs to attend the sitting today was made by Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun following the application by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against the decision made yesterday to limit the attendance to only 80 MPs at the Dewan Rakyat sitting at any time.

Anwar made the application just before Tengku Zafrul began tabling the budget at about 4.20 pm.

Anwar’s application was supported by all MPs across the divide, including Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) and Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan).

In his application, Anwar said all necessary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 at the Parliament have been taken to ensure smooth and safe sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.

“This session is specifically to witness the Budget Speech of the Finance Minister, so it is important for the Speaker to allow the MPs who are already waiting outside to get inside the Dewan Rakyat.

“I hereby request for the Speaker’s approval for the application…,” he said.

Bung Moktar who supported the application said: “According to the Standing Order, the Speaker has the power to let them (MPs) in.”

The Speaker then allowed all the MPs to get into the Dewan Rakyat to witness the tabling of the national budget.

“However, I need to stress that the decision to allow only 80 MPs to attend per sitting is a consensual decision of the chief whips. So, starting Monday, I will strictly adhere to the decision,” he said.

Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat decided to allow only 80 MPs to attend per sitting, comprising 41 MPs from the government and 39 from the opposition and the Independents, to ensure smooth running of the session amid COVID-19.

The decision was reached at the Dewan Rakyat Order of Business Coordination Meeting Following Spread of COVID-19, which was also attended by 10 party chief whips.

-- BERNAMA