Lim skips China visit to oversee tabling of SST Bills

KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday refuted allegations that he was not joining Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to visit China because he had problems with the republic.

On the other hand, he said as the Finance Minister, he has to ensure the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2018 is passed by Parliament this week.

“If the Bill is not passed, it will affect national revenue. As such, I have to be in the Senate unless the opposition can respect the mandate of the people to the Pakatan Harapan government and did not sabotage the economic policy and the Bill,” he said.

The MP for Bagan said when winding up the Bill which was passed at policy stage after the second reading before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof after obtaining the majority at about 6.37pm.

The Bill was tabled following the restructuring of several ministries after the 14th general election (GE14).

Lim said if the Bill was not passed, the revenue of the country would be affected and the nation may face a current account deficit and it should not be allowed to happen.

Earlier when debating the Bill, Tan Sri Annuar Musa (BNKetereh) had asked why was Lim left out of the Prime Minister’s delegation to China which was scheduled on Thursday.

Annuar questioned whether the absence of Lim was because the Finance Minister had been prohibited from entering Beijing.