BUDGET 2021 may have been passed at the policy level during the second reading in parliament last week, but the supply bill has yet to be debated and voted on at the committee level. Moreover, it has to go through a third reading, according to member of parliament for Bangi and opposition lawmaker Ong Kian Ming.
Opposition lawmakers have described their action or lack thereof at the second reading as a “tactical move”, given the various amendments to the budget. They did not oppose the budget at that point as they preferred to wait for the committee phase, when items in the budget can be scrutinised in greater detail and debated on before another vote is taken.