KUALA LUMPUR – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today expressed appreciation to all Members of Parliament (MPs) for giving their support to pass Budget 2021 at the policy stage at Dewan Rakyat today.
Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin in a statement today said the MPs’ move in heeding the King’s decree and advice for them to support the budget was vital to ensure the wellbeing of the people, as well as peace and security of the country.
“Al-Sultan Abdullah lauds the support given to pass Budget 2021 to ensure the wellbeing and survival of the people and to enable the recovery of the country’s economy which was affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“His Majesty decreed that besides the country’s economic recovery and the survival of the people, the budget is very important to the government and the authorities, especially the frontliners, to continue implementing the policies and efforts to handle the threats and curb the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
According to Ahmad Fadil, Al-Sultan Abdullah has high respect to all the registered political parties in the country and truly appreciates the roles played and the responsibilities shouldered by all MPs in ensuring the wellbeing of the people.
As such, Ahmad Fadil said Sultan Abdullah appreciated the commitment and cooperation of all parties in ensuring the momentum of the nation’s economic recovery for mutual benefits and wellbeing.
“Sultan Abdullah also expresses his full confidence in the government’s ability to lead the nation’s administration when the country is being tested by various crises,” he said.
After two weeks of debate and four days of winding-up session by the relevant ministers at the Dewan Rakyat, the Supply Bill or Budget 2021 was passed at the policy stage today.
It was approved with a majority voice vote after attempts by several MPs to initiate bloc voting failed when only 13 MPs stood up, less than the required 15.
The budget, the first by the Perikatan Nasional government, was tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on Nov 6 and 82 MPs spoke during the debate from Nov 9 to 19.
An allocation totalling RM322.5 billion was proposed under the budget, making it the biggest ever in the country’s history, mainly to help the government to handle and cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people and the country.
— BERNAMA
