Budget 2021: PN can benefit if Ku Li does not participate in voting

KUALA LUMPUR: It will be to the advantage of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government if UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah does not participate in the 2021 Budget voting in the Dewan Rakyat..

Ilham Centre Research Fellow Prof Dr Hamidin Abdul Hamid said the PN government does not have to worry about losing a vote of support in the event that the Gua Musang Member of Parliament is absent from voting.

“I see Ku Li's failure to appear on voting day will have a positive impact on the PN government.

"Because, this will be counted as he did not appear in 'court'.

"The victory of the majority (at the time of voting) is determined only through matters related to the constitution in Parliament," he told Astro AWANI on Monday.

However, Hamidin thinks it is appropriate for Tengku Razaleigh to attend the Budget voting day, which is scheduled to be held after the completion of the winding-up session by the minister, either on Nov 25 or 26.

"In this context, I think Ku Li should be present to cast his vote and cast his vote on the 2021 Budget.

"The question of his agreement to participate in the debate is another matter, or different from voting," he explained.

On Monday, Tengku Razaleigh explained his stance in a letter to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harin that he would not participate in the Budget 2021 debate in the Dewan Rakyat because the legitimacy of the government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin could not be determined.

In the letter dated 19 Nov 2020, he also explained, participating in the Budget debate without ascertaining whether the Prime Minister and the Cabinet are legitimate or not in office, will affect one of the important principles of the constitution.