KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat adjourned proceedings for 45 minutes to ease tension in the House today after several Opposition MPs raised questions claiming confusion over whether Budget 2009 tabled on Aug 29 or the RM7 billion stimulus package introduced on Tuesday was approved for second reading.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), after rising to debate the budget at committee stage, asked why the stimulus package introduced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2009 was not included in Budget 2009.
He said it was unusual that Najib's proposals were not found in the budget tabled by then Finance Minister, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Abdullah had tabled a RM207.9 billion budget on Aug 29.
"Every sen has to be approved in Parliament but this matter (the stimulus package) has not been brought before us," Lim said.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) interjected and asked the house to distribute the contents of the stimulus package for debate.
"Which figure do we use for the debate at the committee stage?" he asked.
Anwar told a news conference outside the house later that Najib had violated parliamentary procedure by not giving a two-day notice on the amendment to the Budget, and asked which "Budget" had been approved for second reading.
"The Speaker said the Budget tabled by Najib was approved but this contravenes procedure because the Budget tabled by Najib had not been distributed and, as such, there are differences in the allocations for agriculture and education," he said.
Earlier, in the House, Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar explained that he could not instruct the withdrawal of what had been announced.
"The finance minister (Najib) addressed the House yesterday (Tuesday) and, unfortunately, the Opposition MPs had walked out then," he said.
Opposition MPs walked out en bloc after Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) was barred from the House when Najib was giving his winding-up speech.
Anwar had said then that it was meaningless for them to remain in the house when Najib presented a new Budget but denied the fact.
Wan Junaidi's explanation was not accepted by the Opposition MPs who asked for an adjournment of proceedings to seek clarification from the government on the injection of the RM7 billion into the budget.
"If Budget 2009 has been approved for second reading, then we can debate the figure in this (Budget 2009) document. If the stimulus package was approved, then we have to postpone and get the new figure," said Khalid Abdul Samad (PAS-Shah Alam).
Wan Junaidi then decided to postpone the proceedings at 12.15pm. The house usually breaks for lunch from 1pm to 2.30pm.
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia presided proceedings at 2.30pm and announced that the RM7 billion stimulus package presented by Najib is not part of Budget 2009 which the MPs should be debating at committee stage.
"Those were measures to be taken by the government, if there is a necessity, to prepare the country in facing the economic situation which is expected to be affected by the world economic crisis.
"The money would come from government savings in fuel subsidy. Therefore, I have decided there was no violation of Standing Orders by any MPs and everything had taken place accordingly," he said.
Pandikar Amin added that he has been informed there were no changes made at all to the Budget documents distributed to the MPs earlier in August.
Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) then stood up to ask whether he could conclude that the budget they were going to debate is the one tabled by Abdullah and there was no need to debate the figures presented by Najib.
Pandikar Amin agreed and said since Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah was present at that time, he could confirm the matter.
Husni confirmed that the MPs were supposed to debate on Abdullah’s version of the budget speech, adding Najib’s version was on measures to be taken should the government be able to save RM7 billion from fuel subsidy, as estimated.
"We are facing an extraordinary situation. In extraordinary situations, we must take extraordinary moves. Najib was just being more transparent by announcing what the government is going to do with the RM7 billion," he said.
Lim, who earlier suggested that MPs just ignore Najib's version as just a waste of time, said all that have been tabled by Najib on Tuesday, including the promises of more low-cost houses for the people were now gone.
Anwar then suggested that MPs stick to Pandikar Amin's explanation as Husni's statement has only confused the house.
"So, today, we are going to debate the budget presented by the Prime Minister and that presented by the Deputy Prime Minister should not be accepted or used. This means Najib's speech was not binding upon the budget. We can reject it," he added.
Pandikar Amin then said sometimes he himself was amazed with his own ability to be patient with the MPs, adding the House should proceed with the debates on the budget at committee stage.
Husna Yusop and Giam Say Khoon
The Sun
05/11/08
PEOPLE'S POWER
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