KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — The Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2020 was passed after 111 MPs voted in favour.
Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun postponed the Dewan Rakyat sitting for 10 minutes today before undergoing a bloc voting.
There were 106 MPs who voted against it while five were absent.
The five absent MPs were Maximus Ongkili (PBS-Kota Marudu), Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Umno-Gua Musang), Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko-Tuaran), Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) and Christina Liew (Harapan-Tawau)
Several Opposition MPs complained when Azhar announced that he will postpone the sitting for 10 minutes right after announcing the vote counters for each block in the Dewan Rakyat at 3.47pm.
Akmal Nasrallah Mohd Nasir (Johor Baru-PH), R. Sivarasa (Sungai Buloh-PH), RSN Rayer (Jelutong-PH) and others stood up and complained as Azhar left the Dewan.
“You can’t postpone the vote, it is not according to the law,” said Sivarasa.
The shouting match continued for a while, but the microphone was then shut until Azhar returned and commenced the vote.
On July 21, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz tabled the Supplementary Supply (2019) Bill 2020 as well as the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2020 in the Lower House to reallocate RM7.18 billion to facilitate the restructuring of the PN Cabinet.
According to Tengku Zafrul, this would not involve additional allocations and would be taken from the existing budget and savings.
The application for allocation was following the restructuring of a few ministries, establishment of several new ministries, and the dissolution of one ministry in line with the formation of the new cabinet on March 10, 2020.
The additional expenditure was applied for the Prime Minister’s Department totalling RM310.62 million, Treasury (RM17.25 million) and Treasury General Services (RM2.41 million).
The allocation was also for the National Unity Ministry (RM240.45 million), Rural Development Ministry (RM189.16 million), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (RM102.60 million), as well as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (RM10 million).
The rest of the allocation are for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (RM12.41 million), Ministry of Environment and Water (RM306 million), Ministry of Housing and Local Government (RM70.37 million, and the Ministry of Higher Education (RM5.92 billion).
