PH 'no choice' but to support Budget 2023

Political analysts say that opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) may have no choice but to support the budget for 2023, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat last week, even though this would place Barisan Nasional (BN) in a positive light. 

Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said PH could not afford to risk the dissolution of Parliament if the budget fails for a lack of support. 

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said PH support for the budget would also stem from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked with the government last year.

"PH will not do anything that goes against that agreement," he said, citing the advantages gained from the consensus including the anti-party hopping law which recently came into effect. 

"I believe PH will support this budget in order to ensure that several other bills are also passed." 

The 2023 budget, presented by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz on Oct 7, had allocated RM372 billion for the year ahead. 

Amanah's Pulai MP, Salahuddin Ayub, said it could be considered as "goodies" for the general election widely expected to take place in the near future.

"I hope that if the budget is people-oriented, it will be allowed to be debated," he told reporters in Parliament. 

"We in the opposition agreed to the MoU to give the prime minister enough time to rebuild the country, not for there to be struggles or pressure for Parliament to be dissolved." 

The opposition front, alongside several parties in the government including Bersatu and PAS from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, have been vocal in their objection to any move to dissolve Parliament before the expiry of its term.

They cite, among others, the arrival of the northeast monsoon season expected in mid-November. 

MalaysiaNow previously reported that BN would benefit the most from the budget despite the mixed nature of the government which comprises BN, PN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

Hang Tuah Jaya MP Shamsul Akin Iskandar meanwhile said PH would consider whether or not to support the 2023 budget. 

"We will debate until the end, and we will see what is concluded by the finance minister," he said. 

"It is still too early to jump to any conclusions." 

For Mazlan, however, the key to PH's support would be the prospect of Parliament's dissolution to pave the way for an early election, amid strong pressure from Umno leaders aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for Ismail to call for polls this year.

Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, also expects PH to support the budget. 

"As they continue their pledge to prop up Ismail's government, they will have no choice but to eventually vote yes on the budget, albeit grudgingly," he said. 

The MoU between Ismail and PH was signed in September last year. The agreement covered a post-Covid national recovery plan, administrative transformations and reforms at the Parliament level, as well as the Malaysia Agreement and the independence of judicial institutions.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim previously said that PH might reject the budget, depending on the government's integrity in several issues of importance. 

The previous budget for 2022 was passed after obtaining the support of the majority of MPs.