Dewan Rakyat debate on Budget 2022 to begin today

Budget 2022, tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz on Friday, will be debated by MPs at the Dewan Rakyat beginning today.

The debate session is scheduled to be commenced by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim after the oral question-and-answer session. As per convention, the second debater will be from the Government Backbenchers Club (BBC).

Based on the parliamentary sitting calendar, Budget 2022 is scheduled to be discussed at the policy level for seven days, and will be wound up by the ministers or deputy ministers of the relevant ministries for four days before being discussed at the committee level for 13 days.

The focus of today’s sitting will also be on the issue of whether high wage rates in Australia and South Korea are the reason why many Malaysians are willing to work illegally in the two countries.

Shabudin Yahaya (Bersatu-Tasek Gelugor) will pose the question during the oral question-and-answer session. He will also ask the human resources minister to state the actions taken to prevent more Malaysians from becoming forced labourers in those countries.

Questions related to vaccination will still be entertained at the sitting as Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (Bersatu-Alor Gajah) asks the health ministry to state in detail the safety measures taken to ensure the vaccine received is suitable for the recipient.

He will also ask about the form of compensation received by vaccine recipients if side effects occur after vaccination.

Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH-Permatang Pauh), meanwhile, will ask the health minister to state the ministry’s efforts to regulate all HPV (human papilloma virus) DNA programmes, which are now partly run by the National Population and Family Development Board.

She will also seek the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that all students aged 13 and 14 who missed the HPV vaccination are given the vaccine in the near future.

Issues related to Sabah and Sarawak will also be in focus when Richard Riot Jaem (GPS-Serian) asks about efforts to increase clean water and electricity supply in rural Sarawak, while Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) will raise a question on the encroachment of illegal immigrants in Sabah waters.

The Dewan Rakyat session will last for 32 days until Dec 16.