Vote for nation, Dr M tells MPs
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah are pu ing aside their long rivalry to take on the Perikatan government led by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The two senior statesmen want to turn Malaysia into an Asian tiger again with the support of members of parliament by asking them to vote for the third reading of the Budget 2021 Bill in the Dewan Rakyat today in the interest of the nation.
“The people’s representatives who love the country should go beyond the party and self and vote for the country,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference with Tengku Razaleigh here yesterday.
Today MPs will vote for Budget 2021 at its third reading. The budget was passed at the policy stage by a voice vote on November 26.
Hinting that the passage of the budget may face some difficulty at the third reading, Dr Mahathir called on the MPs to come together for the sake of a stronger future of the country.
“There is a possibility that when the vote for the third reading of the Budget 2021 bill, the government might lose tomorrow. If the government loses then I hope those is parliament will begin to think not about themselves but about the nation.
“We need to see a government that is not motivated by ‘what can we get’ but instead what I can contribute towards developing the nation, that is the objective,” Dr Mahathir said.
The MP for Langkawi, who has been prime minister twice, said there is a need to revive the policy of political leaders wanting to develop the country rather than pursuing self or party interests.
Dr Mahathir said politicians should not expect to secure posts of minister, deputy minister or GLC chairman simply because they want big salaries without regard for the interests of the country and people.
Citing the Covid-19 pandemic that has had an undesirable effect on the economy and livelihood of the people, he said efforts must be taken to strengthen the economy and make Malaysia an Asian Tiger again.
Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh said they are prepared to work together and share their experience to achieve this objective in a bipartisan manner on the platform of developing the country.
The two political adversaries also lamented the current political instability which they claimed is exacerbating a sluggish economy already affected by the very trying Covid-19 global pandemic, which they said can be resolved by forming a “good government” that prioritise the needs of the public first.
However, they are not pu ing themselves to head the new government if one is formed.
Dr Mahathir had also denied that he is working behind the scenes in garnering support to form a new government.
Tengku Razaleigh, or be er known as Ku Li, also stated that he had cooperated with Dr Mahathir on the grounds that the country is in dire need of new management to helm it during these trying times in an effort to revitalise the nation as an “Asian Tiger”.
“The current government is weak, with only two majority. When the government is weak, then there is no confidence in the government. When there is no confidence in the government then there will be no investment coming into the country, not to mention that this will lead to less revenue for the country and no growth and new jobs opportunity for the country.
“We hope we can fix these problems with what we have suggested,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
Muhyiddin’s majority has never been officially established but is placed at 113 lawmakers from the 222-seat Parliament or just over the absolute minimum of 112 needed for a simple majority.
By convention, a rejection of the federal Budget is considered a successful vote of no-confidence against the ruling party and should be met by the resignation of the entire Cabinet.
Last month, Budget 2021 was approved in the policy stage a er Parliament approved it via a voice vote when fewer than the 15 lawmakers needed to force blocvoting rose to make their rejection known.
Just 13 Opposition MPs including Dr Mahathir and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu stood up to try and force a bloc vote.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later said he instructed his side’s lawmakers to allow Budget 2021 through the policy stage as he did not want to be seen as blocking aid and concessions announced by the Perikatan Nasional government.
He suggested then that Pakatan Harapan will oppose the Budget in the commi ee stage, but the effort has now been thwarted as all ministerial allocations have since been approved.
Yesterday, Tengku Razaleigh said he will not be voting for the third reading of the Budget 2021 Bill today.
“No, I won’t be voting for the Budget,” he said at the press conference.
When asked whether his presence with Dr Mahathir was him formally announcing his cooperation with the Opposition which was against the government that Umno is part of, Ku Li merely said he wanted to highlight the illegitimacy of the current Perikatan Nasional government.
“I am here, sharing a platform with [Dr Mahathir] purely because I want to make sure we have a legitimate government and the government we have today is not legitimate and a PM that is not legitimate,” he said.
Ku Li also maintained that he will not be participating in the debates, a position which he had made known previously whereby he would be abstaining from debating as long as the legitimacy of Muhyiddin and his Cabinet is not tested.
At the press conference, Dr Mahathir said he had not discussed with Anwar any possible move to oust Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government during the third reading of Budget 2021 Bill today.
The former prime minister also asserted that a government that depends on the support of disgraced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be formed is not a circumstance that he can ever accept.
“No, he has no contact with me so I can’t discuss with him,” Dr Mahathir said.
The Langkawi MP also said he does not have to give his support or loyalty to Anwar as Opposition Leader in Parliament, claiming the la er does not command the support the majority of Opposition MPs.
“We are not under him. He is named the Opposition Leader, but he does not control us. We can do what we like, that is a given where Parliament is concerned.
“So I have no need to pledge support or loyalty to an Opposition Leader,” he added.