Ku Li's letter proves existence of move to reject 2021 Budget

SHAH ALAM: A letter sent by Gua Musang Member of Parliament (MP), Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to 220 MPs entitled Motion of No Confidence on Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday is believed to be part of a planned move to reject the 2021 Budget motion.

Kapar Member of Parliament, Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid said he believes the letter from Tengku Razaleigh or better known as Ku Li has an impact on determining the approval of the 2021 Budget motion this Thursday.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Central Leadership Council member also agreed with Ku Li's view in asking the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun to allow a motion of confidence in Muhyiddin to give the opportunity to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman to prove the legitimacy of the majority of MPs support to him first.

"Legitimacy vote (to determine confidence) on Muhyiddin should be implemented first to avoid the fate of the country being gambled through the 2021 Budget block voting.

"If he truly has the confidence of the majority of MPs, Muhyiddin must prove the truth of the support figures in the Parliamentary session with us seeing that he only got 111 votes during the election of the new Speaker previously... a minority government.

"I am of the view that Ku Li's 'love' letter will have an impact on determining block voting on the 2021 Budget motion by believing that he has the support before the move is implemented," he told Sinar Harian here yesterday.

Abdullah Sani also stressed that all opposition MPs will reject the 2021 Budget proposal because it does not seem to really cover the needs of the people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic threat.

On Monday, Ku Li, who is the Chairman of the UMNO Advisory Council, informed that he will not participate in the 2021 Budget debate as long as Azhar Azizan refuses to allow the motion to determine confidence in Muhyiddin.

The former Finance Minister conveyed the wish to Azhar Azizan through a letter dated November 19 which also criticised the refusal of the Speaker to allow an important motion, apart from the 2021 Budget proposal to be implemented.

The letter was in response to Azhar Azizan's statement last month that he could not allow a motion of no-confidence against the government, considered a private motion, to precede a motion brought by the government.

Veteran UMNO leader Tan Sri Shahrir Samad had put forward an interesting view, with him as if expecting the PN government to apply for an emergency proclamation once again to suspend the Dewan Rakyat so that the 2021 Budget proposal is passed.

Based on a post on his Facebook page, the former Johor Bahru MP shared the view that the PN government can implement a Vote On Account under Article 68A of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders, which allows the presentation of several accounts (not a full Budget) for expenses, approved without debate by MPs.

"Dewan Rakyat rules allow expenditure for 'part of a year' to be easily approved. Provided that the government does not exceed the 'part' of the year.

“It is very clear that the PN government does not need an emergency declaration, that is, until it suspends the Dewan Rakyat so that the budget (Budget 2021) is passed.

"It could not be that no one advises the inner circle of the PN government?" he said.

Currently, Muhyiddin has only the support of 112 from 222 MPs, following the death of a Member of Parliament from BN and an Opposition Member of Parliament from Parti Warisan Negara (Warisan).

In the latest development, support for Muhyiddin is only 111 following Ku Li's expected withdrawal from supporting him.

With support for the opposition remaining at 108, only an additional four votes from BN MPs are needed to ensure that the 2021 Budget motion is rejected.