Dr Noor Hisham thankful Budget 2021 passed at policy stage

KUALA LUMPUR: Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah is thankful that the Supply Bill 2021 (Budget 2021) was passed at the policy stage today.

“Alhamdulillah (praise be to God). Together, we continue the war (against) COVID-19,” he told Bernama.

Dr Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry was confident that all Members of Parliament (MPs) understood the country’s current COVID-19 and financial situations, and that the focus now was on containing the spread of infection and reviving the economy.

“Hopefully, the frontliners’ efforts to curb and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic will be eased,” he added.

The Supply Bill 2021 was passed at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat today with a majority voice after the attempt by several MPs to call for bloc voting failed when only 13 MPs stood up, less than the required 15.

The first budget of the Perikatan Nasional government was tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on Nov 6 and 82 MPs took part in the debate.

An allocation totalling RM322.5 billion was proposed under the budget -- the largest in the country’s history -- as Malaysia is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on people’s lives and the economy.

Of the total, RM31.9 billion is allocated to the Health Ministry, an increase of 4.3 per cent over last year’s allocation.

Besides that, the ministry’s frontliners will receive an additional one-off payment of RM500 each in appreciation of their services.

-- BERNAMA