Muhyiddin pleas for unity on Malaysia budget in face of potential revolt

Prime minister is trying to rally political backing on bill even as he stares down no-confidence motions

If final document falls short of Umno and Pakatan Harapan demands, it could stand to be ‘harshly attacked’

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Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin faces a potentially disastrous outcome to budget bill deliberations. Photo: Bernama / DPA

Published: 12:11pm, 5 Nov 2020Updated: 12:52am, 18 Dec 2020

Malaysia’s crucial 2021 budget bill will be officially introduced in parliament on Friday with last-minute tweaks still being made and numerous hurdles that must be overcome to push it through, despite the government’s collaborative approach.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who came to power in March through a political coup that saw the previous Pakatan Harapan ruling administration cannibalise itself, has urged all politicians to back his government’s budget for the good of the nation.

“Because of the importance of [the budget] relating to our efforts to manage Covid-19, ensuring the survival of the vulnerable and steering the economy, I sincerely hope that all members of parliament from all political backgrounds will support the 2021 budget,” Muhyiddin said in a television broadcast on Wednesday.

“If we love our country … we will try save it in any way possible,” he added.

His embattled Perikatan Nasional alliance, as well as his own party, the nationalist Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), have grappled with strained relations with the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), of which he was previously part of.

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