MPs skip lunch break to wrap up debates before Budget 2023 re-tabling

KUALA LUMPUR: In a rare move, Members of Parliament skipped their lunch break on Wednesday (Feb 22) in a race to wrap up debates before Budget 2023 is re-tabled in two days.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul did not make the usual announcement that the House would break for lunch from 1pm to 2.30pm.

Johari instead invited Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to wrap up his ministerial replies at about 1pm.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, spent almost 45 minutes giving his replies.

This was followed by ministerial replies from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof in his capacity as Plantation and Commodities Minister, which took a further 30 minutes.

A total of 148 MPs participated in the debate on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address for five days from Feb 14.

Owing to a tight schedule, most of the 148 MPs were given seven minutes each to raise issues during their debates instead of the usual 10 to 15 minutes.

The race to keep to the schedule became apparent on Tuesday (Feb 21) when the Dewan Rakyat adjourned its sitting at about 11pm after all 148 MPs spoke.

A total of 15 ministries are scheduled to wrap up their respective ministerial replies on Wednesday (Feb 22) night.

The remaining 13 ministries will conclude their replies on Thursday (Feb 23).

Budget 2023 is scheduled to be tabled by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting is scheduled to end at 5.30pm but can be extended as needed.

Johari had previously said that he wanted proceedings to end by 7.30pm at the latest so that MPs would not get too jaded in the august House.

On a separate issue, Johari advised civil servants on duty at the Dewan Rakyat to arrive earlier.

He said this would keep them from getting stuck in a long queue to register with Parliament security at the entrance.