Absent MP counted in Budget vote

Furore erupts over inclusion of Nazri Aziz, who was not present in the House during voting

KUALA LUMPUR: Pandemonium broke out in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday after it was discovered that one MP who was counted among those who had voted for Budget 2021, was actually absent when the count was conducted.

The commotion started after Deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon read out a declaration from Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun stating that Noor Amin Ahmad (PHKangar) informed him that Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) had been included in the list of supporters when he was not present.

The Budget received the nod from 106 MPs against 95 objections with 19 MPs absent, and not 18, Noor Amin said, adding that Azhar had ordered for the number of votes to be corrected.

Datuk Shabudin Yahya (PN-Tasek Gelugor), who counted the PN votes, apologised to the Speaker, saying it was a mistake and he did not mean to mislead the House.

In response to the Opposition’s demand for an explanation, he said he had seen Nazri in Parliament minutes before the bloc vote but was not sure if he was still there during voting.

Fuziah Salleh (PH-Kuantan) cited Standing Orders 47 (1) and 47 (2), which stated that MPs who acted as vote counters must clearly ask each lawmaker which side they are on or whether they are abstaining from the vote for any motion.

She said the vote counter should not make assumptions.

“If the vote counter on the government side can make assumptions, how can we be convinced that the next vote counter won’t do the same?”

She said the present government has a majority of just two MPs.

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Ind-Muar) said miscalculating the votes during Monday’s bloc voting would have been a serious matter.

He urged the Speaker to ensure that this error does not happen again.

Rashid said he would raise the matter with Azhar and that any lawmaker who took issue with this should formally notify the Speaker.