Malaysia opposition blasts Muhyiddin budget for short-changing key demands

The government’s request for 322.5 billion ringgit in funds for 2021 would be a 2.5 per cent increase from 2020

Of the six demands the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition made, only one was fulfilled: an increase in resources to battle the coronavirus pandemic

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Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (left) and Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz, posing with the national 2021 budget. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:23pm, 6 Nov 2020Updated: 12:35am, 18 Dec 2020

The Malaysian government unveiled an expansionary 2021 budget on Friday that includes extended debt relief measures for the country‘s low-income groups but also sets the stage for a clash with the opposition after some of its key demands were not included.

The government aims to spend 322.5 billion ringgit (about US$78 billion) in 2021 – which would be a 2.5 per cent increase from the 2020 budget – even though the country faces a deficit crunch.

Introduced on Friday by finance minister Zafrul Aziz, the budget was initially touted as a bipartisan measure in an attempt to protect it from being voted down in parliament, where the ruling Perikatan Nasional alliance holds a razor-thin majority.

However, of the six demands the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition made, only one was fulfilled: an increase in Health Ministry resources to battle the coronavirus pandemic, athough not as much as the opposition would have liked.

Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz presents the 2021 budget at the parliament house in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters

Other demands, such as wage subsidy extensions and an increase in education spending, were not met satisfactorily, opposition members said.