Crucial vote: Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz speaking in Parliament on Thursday.
OPPOSITION supporters were eagerly waiting for their MPs to oppose Budget 2021 when it came up for vote in Parliament on Thursday. But only 13 MPs objected, which was not enough as 15 are needed to force a bloc vote. The rest refused to stand up and be counted, and the budget was passed with a voice vote.
It was a big let down for Opposition supporters. They had perhaps expected their representatives to be more like Jerlun MP Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir of Pejuang (the yet-to-be-registered Opposition party), who tweeted “Biar mati berdiri dari hidup melutut (better to die standing than to live on your knees)”. He was one of the 13.
