Three more 2021 Budget allocations approved at committee stage

KUALA LUMPUR: The allocations for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Unity, and Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities under the 2021 Budget were passed at the committee stage today, with only one of them going through the bloc voting process.

The allocation for the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities was voted through bloc voting when more than 15 Members of Parliament (MPs) rose and demanded bloc voting.

The Supply Bill 2021 for the ministry was passed at the committee stage after 108 MPs voted in favour, 95 voted against it while 17 were absent.

The approval for the three ministries brought the number of approved ministry budget allocations at the committee stage to five, with two of these passed through the majority vote and the rest by bloc voting.

Earlier, National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique when winding up the debate for the ministry, said the National Unity Policy, now in the final stage of preparation, was expected to be launched next year.

“This content (policy) includes the Unity Action Plan related to planned actions so that the people can take up the responsibility of forging unity as a habit, appropriate in the Malaysian context for us to strengthen the unity agenda.

"The ministry has also developed the National Unity Index (IPN) which is an indicator to measure the level of national unity which is an important source of reference for the ministry to do planning from time to time," she said.

The debate session at the committee stage is scheduled to continue until Dec 15.

Tomorrow, the proposed allocations under the 2021 Budget for three ministries will be debated on, namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

The 2021 Supply Bill tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz on Nov 6 was passed at the policy stage last Thursday by a majority vote after two weeks of debate and four days of winding up.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA