KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — The Dewan Rakyat approved the allocations for two more ministries under Budget 2021 at the committee stage this afternoon, with both passed via voice vote as Opposition lawmakers only offered faint objections.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun called for a vote respectively on the RM1.084 billion allocation for the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and RM549 million allocation for Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry.
The former ministry’s deputy minister Datuk Rosol Wahid delivered his winding-up speech with minimal interruption while the latter’s minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar too did not receive much interjection from the floor.
This was a stark contrast to earlier winding-up speech delivered by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali who was sparred by former finance minister and DAP Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, former prime minister and Parti Pejuang Tanah Aor’s Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and others who disputed his ministry’s allocations.
Azmin’s ministry budget allocation was however narrowly passed by 110 to 104 MPs via a vote through divisions.
Six federal lawmakers were absent during the vote, which also saw the Opposition break past its previous ceiling of 95 votes for the first time today.
Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat approved the allocations for three ministries under Budget 2021 at the committee stage today, with all passed via voice vote as Opposition lawmakers did not try to trigger any divisions.
Altogether, the allocations of 11 ministries have been approved at the committee stage debate of Budget 2021, with four through divisions and seven with voice votes.
