Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Tengku Zafrul’s statement was meant to restrain MPs from ensuring that the Budget is for the interests of the people, and implied that the people and government servants would suffer if the Budget was rejected. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
“There is no basis at all for the Minister of Finance and any Government leader to threaten MPs to support the 2021 Budget on the grounds that if the Budget is rejected, civil servants and frontliners will not receive salaries, pensions and allowances,” Dr Mahathir said in a statement. The two-time former PM related that the Budget 2000, which was tabled in October 1999, did not continue into the debate phase as Parliament was dissolved in November that year for the 10th general election.
“This provision also included payment for other additional expenditure either for Ministries or to ease the lives of the people,” he added.