‘Mother of all budgets’ adds colour to 2017 Parliamentary sittings

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2017 session of the 13th Parliament ended with the approval of the Supply Bill 2018 or Budget 2018, dubbed the ‘mother of all budgets’.

The bill, tabled by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Oct 27, was approved by the Dewan Rakyat by a majority voice vote at 8.44 pm on Nov 28. It was passed by the Dewan Negara on Dec 13.

The bill, which sought to allocate RM280.25 billion for operating and development expenditure, listed 233 incentives and programmes under eight thrusts and took into account the interests of yet-to-be-born Malaysians right up to the agendas for the future of the nation. It was debated in the Dewan Rakyat for 18 days and was not spared the drama, with the most prominent being when the opposition tried to thwart the bill after Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin completed his winding-up speech on the bill at the committee level for his ministry. PKR Kapar MP G. Manivannan, on seeing the absence of several MPs, took the opportunity to propose that a vote be conducted via block voting to decide the support for the Supply Bill. It was passed 52 in favour and 51 against.

Following the incident, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi advised Barisan Nasional MPs to be more serious when it came to attending Dewan Rakyat sittings.

Of the 222 MPs, 132 are from the Barisan Nasional, 88 are from the opposition and two are Independents. In addition to the Supply Bill, the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara also approved more than 30 bills, the most important of which was the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 aimed at protecting children under 18 from sexual crimes. In line with the Act, which came into force on July 10, a Court for Sexual Crimes Against Children was also set up to handle sexual crime proceedings involving children as victims.

Other bills passed by the legislative body are the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017; Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2017; Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2017; Tourism Tax Bill 2017 and Prevention of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2017.