PETALING JAYA: Amid talk of an imminent general election, the tabling of Budget 2023 on Friday has got many people wondering what's in store for them – and how soon Parliament will be dissolved to pave the way for GE15.
A look at previous budget and election dates shows that the gap between the tabling of an election year Budget and the dissolution of Parliament varies, from less than two weeks to nearly a year.
From the shortest to the longest
The shortest gap was in 1999 when the country’s spending plan for the year 2000 was tabled on Oct 29, 1999 - just 12 days before the Dewan Rakyat was dissolved on Nov 10 to pave the way for an election. Polling took place on Nov 29.
ALSO READ> All about the Budget
The longest gap was in 1990. The 1990 budget was tabled on Oct 27, 1989, and Parliament was dissolved on Oct 4, 1990, or 342 days later. Polling in the 1990 election took place on Oct 21.
Here’s what the gap looks like in each of the nation's 14 general elections:
Are we going to see a repeat of 1999?
In the event that Parliament is dissolved soon after the tabling of Budget 2023, events in 1999 offer clues to how events could play out.
Budget 2000 was tabled on Oct 29, 1999, by Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.
It featured a 10% pay hike for the country’s 800,000 civil servants along with a month’s bonus, an income tax cut across the board for the general population and other goodies:
It was described by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a "recovery budget" aimed at putting the country's economy on a firm footing after the 1997 Asian economic downturn.
On Oct 30, Dr Mahathir dropped a hint that he was just days away from seeking a dissolution of Parliament, which on hindsight many people missed.
To a question on whether the government's chances in the election were better with the Budget, he noted wryly that his experience was that on the first day, everybody was very happy with the Budget.
"But on the second day, they are not as happy and by the fourth and fifth day, they may say it is a rotten Budget.
"So if we hold the elections today, we can win but if we hold it in a week, we could lose because the Opposition will go and dig up dirt and tell all sorts of lies to the people," he said.
Dr Mahathir had earlier confirmed his attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in South Africa set for Nov 12 to 14, 1999, so no one was expecting a dissolution.
However, days before he was scheduled to leave, word leaked that he had cancelled his trip.
Then, on the morning of Nov 10, Dr Mahathir sought the assent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in the morning to dissolve Parliament.
At 2.30pm Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Zahir Ismail announced the dissolution of the House and held that the sitting would be adjourned.
At the time, scores of MPs had been waiting for their chance to speak on the Supply Bill which was in its second week of debate.
The general election was held on Nov 29, with Barisan Nasional returned to power.
Barisan subsequently tabled an allocation of RM30.768bil in Dewan Rakyat on Dec 20 to ensure continuity in the administration of the country.
On Feb 25 the following year, Daim re-tabled Budget 2000.
How Malaysia’s budget allocations have grown over the years
How this year’s Budget was allocated
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
