Pakatan urges PM to discuss Budget with its coalition members:

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan has urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to hold discussions with its coalition members before tabling Budget 2021 next Friday.

“The Pakatan presidential council agrees with the King that it is important and serious for Budget 2021 to be discussed with the opposition before it is tabled in Parliament.

“Therefore, the Prime Minister must heed the King’s calls by holding discussions and negotiations immediately with the opposition regarding the contents of Budget 2021 before tabling it on Nov 6 so it achieves the King’s objectives,” it said in a statement yesterday.

It was issued after the council met for over two hours at the PKR headquarters here.

Its leaders, however, kept mum regarding its support for Budget 2021 when approached by reporters.

Among those present were opposition leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu and its communications director Khalid Samad, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and its adviser Lim Kit Siang.

It was understood that the meeting was called to deliberate the opposition’s decision on whether or not to back Budget 2021.

In a statement on Wednesday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah called on all MPs to stop squabbling and give full support to Budget 2021 for the sake of the people and the economy during the time of Covid-19.

Budget 2021 will see debates at the policy stage for almost two weeks and three days of ministerial replies, followed by voting by MPs on Nov 23 in Dewan Rakyat.

Last Sunday, the King, following consultation with his fellow Malay Rulers, decided against declaring a state of emergency as proposed by the Cabinet while reminding politicians to stop all forms of politicking that could disrupt the stability of the country amid the pandemic.