‘Mother of all budgets’ adds colour to 2017 Parliament

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 8.44pm 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 windingup 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.

Before the meeting was adjourned this year, the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2017, which allows judges to exercise discretion in meting out sentences other than the death penalty for those convicted of drug trafficking, was also approved.

The Dewan Rakyat also witnessed the tabling of a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) by PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on April 6, despite interruptions by several opposition members.

The Marang MP was delayed from tabling the motion by about 30 minutes as opposition members raised several objections over the issue with Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Among the proposed amendments were that the Syariah Court be empowered to impose maximum penalties which included 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the rotan.

Currently, the Syariah courts are empowered to mete out sentences of up to three years’ jail, six strokes of the rotan and RM5,000 fine.

Pandikar Amin then decided that the motion would be debated and decided at the next Dewan Rakyat session. — Bernama