KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim led Pakatan Rakyat MPs in their fourth walkout this year in protest of Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's refusal to allow them to seek clarification while he was delivering his winding-up budget speech which included new measures to stimulate the economy.
The en bloc walkout came about five minutes after Tian Chua (Batu-PKR) was asked to leave the House for refusing to sit after being repeatedly told to do so by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
Najib said in his opening speech that he would only field questions after he had finished tabling the new measures. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was seated beside Najib, merely watched the drama. The Dewan Rakyat passed the second reading of Budget 2009.
"We waited solidly for one hour to seek the minister's permission to respond, to allow us to respond and engage in the debate. This is a time when ministers reply to issues raised by MPs. But he had consistently refused," said Anwar.
"We brought up issues of Point of Order to appeal to the Speaker a number of times and naturally, you have seen the sheer display of arrogance. We have therefore no choice but to stage a walkout in protest of the behaviour and manner Najib as minister of finance conducted his affairs in the Parliament House."
He said the last straw for the opposition was when Pandikar Amin asked Najib if he would allow the MPs to put forward questions and Najib said no.
"If that was the case, there was no benefit in sitting there," said Anwar, adding that Najib and his deputies were not in the House to listen to the two weeks of debates by the opposition.
Asked on the new measures, Anwar said they had not gone through them yet, but said the forecast was not realistic.
"That is why we must be given time. That is why you need a supplementary Budget or a package paper to parliament, so that we are given time to study. The forecast to me is not realistic. In fact, there are some problems with the figures.
"He said savings RM7 billion, we will keep the expenditure as it stands and maintain the growth rate at 3.5% and deficit 4.8%. It does not make sense. These sorts of figures, the deficit will cross double digits," he said, adding that there was a complete disrespect of the procedures in the House.
Anwar also defended the budget he had presented about 10 days ago which Najib alleged to be contractionary as opposed to an expansionary one presented by the government.
"The only aspect that is a clear substantive reduction is the issue of government expenditure, in terms of public service spending. Otherwise, in terms of training, in terms of public infrastructure there is an increase, so we have to make sure there is a small deficit.
"So there is no truth in his allegations. It is a blatant lie on the part of Najib to suggest that it is a contractionary budget," he said.
Anwar said the MPs were asked to approve a newly revised budget with new growth scenario, new inflation figures and government income and expenditure in a matter of minutes. "It is treating the whole parliament budget debate as a mockery," he said.
Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur-DAP) doubted the government's budget could remain unchanged although the figures presented had changed.
"There is no presentation of the revised, changed figures which was to be voted afterwards. This is actually misleading the House which falls under Standing Order 36 (12)," he told reporters in parliament lobby.
"They allowed MPs from both sides to debate a budget which he is clearly going to abandon."
Asked if the government was still in denial in relation to the country's economy, Lim said: "The way the winding-up is being presented, it is clearly in the state of denial. In fact, parliament will be asked to approve the budget when the figures have changed."
He said there should have been a proper presentation of an amendment of the budget.
PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa (Bachok-PAS) said Najib should be winding up the debate and not present a new budget.
"What we heard just now was the presentation of a new budget that bears no meaning for us. We have debated for two weeks while what was presented just now was with new data and figures.
"That is why we asked for clarification from the start. It is against the Point of Order and it was against reason he was here today which was to answer all our questions. We came here to debate not to listen to an economic lecture from the finance minister," said Nasharuddin.
The Edge
05/11/08
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