Amanah MPs to reject 2021 budget

None of Amanah’s 11 MPs will support the 2021 budget, its president Mohamad Sabu said today in comments seen as against several royal reminders to politicians across the divide to ensure financial allocations for frontliners in the battle against Covid-19.

Mohamad was quoted by Astro Awani as saying that his party would only support the budget motion if several conditions are met.

“Umno too has called for some amendments in exchange for support, (so) we are with Pakatan Harapan (in not supporting the budget),” the news station quoted the former defence minister as saying in Kota Bharu today.

Amanah’s stand appears to be in conflict with several reminders by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the run-up to the tabling of Budget 2021 last Friday.

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had warned MPs against trying to derail the budget, saying the financial allocations were crucial in efforts to restore the economy ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He issued the reminders after refusing to invoke his constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency in order to prevent possible snap polls in the event that the budget is shot down.

There have been fears of a general election if the budget is not passed, which top health officials said could trigger a series of Covid-19 clusters.

This follows reports that key Umno leaders aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak could engineer a collapse of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government if they do not vote to support the budget.