Budget 2021 not fully passed yet, says Azmin

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is not about “to celebrate” the passing of Budget 2021 at the policy stage as it knows that it has to face another obstacle before it is “truly passed”, says Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (pic). The Senior Minister said Budget 2021 was not something to be taken lightly, which was why the government took the time to answer and address issues raised by MPs in Parliament.

“This is no cause for celebration. The only ones politicising it is the opposition, ” he said when met at a hotel here yesterday where Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia held its supreme council meeting.

Azmin said this in response to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s warning to the government to not celebrate their victory in passing Budget 2021 at the policy stage just yet.

On Thursday, Anwar cautioned that the Budget could still be blocked when it entered the committee stage starting next Monday, following the passing of Budget 2021 at the policy stage in Parliament through a voice vote.

Azmin said the RM322.5bil budget was meant to help people whose lives were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as help the country’s economy recover.

He said the government had also consulted the Opposition to get their views on the Budget before it was tabled.

“Pakatan Harapan has never taken such an open approach, ” he said.

Azmin also said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz also took time to scrutinise what could be done now, and what could be done down the road, when drafting the Budget.

“This is not a one-off budget, so it had to be dynamic and we needed an inclusive approach to responding to the current needs, ” he said, adding that the government would continue with its approach to responding to any issue raised to get Budget 2021 passed.