The opposition failed in its attempt to thwart Budget 2021 as it was passed in the final approval stage in the Dewan Rakyat today via an en bloc vote.

The vote ended with 111 Members of Parliament (MPs) in favour and 108 MPs against the passing of the budget.

Budget 2021 passed in Dewan Rakyat despite opposition's last-ditch efforts to stymie bill

Budget 2021 was formulated with a balancing act in mind, a treasury official said today, adding that it is important for the government to spend on development expenditure to stimulate new growth in the country.

Budget 2021 formulated with balancing act in mind — MoF

The crucial vote on Budget 2021 is scheduled for today in the Dewan Rakyat amid uncertainty as to whether it will garner sufficient support from lawmakers.

Several MPs have threatened to withhold support for the Budget unless their concerns are addressed. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Pejuang-Langkawi), for one, has said that he and “his friends” have decided to reject the Budget

Parliament to decide on the National Budget today

As for now, the schedule for the crucial Budget 2021 vote set for tomorrow is on track, according to a source familiar with the matter.

“Ministers have also been reminded to stick to their 20-minute allocation and not exceed it — as what happened on Monday and Tuesday. Questions that can’t be answered due to time constraints will be answered in writing,” a government source familiar with the scheduled budget vote told The Edge, adding that at present, the budget voting is still “confirmed” for tomorrow as scheduled.

Schedule for budget voting on track — source

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will not be participating in the Budget 2021 debate as long as the legitimacy of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his Cabinet is not tested.

Ku Li to abstain from Budget 2021 debate as long as no-confidence motion not allowed

Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal today criticised the government’s controversial decision to allocate RM85.5 million to the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa) during the Covid-19 pandemic, calling it unnecessary.

Following a growing number of lawmakers who have voiced their dissatisfaction at this move, Shafie echoed their calls to use the RM85.5 million in combating Covid-19.

Shafie joins growing list of politicians questioning RM86m allocation for Jasa

While the Budget 2021 has been touted to be the largest budget in Malaysia, four associations have jointly urged the government to revise the national budget to provide “sustainable and meaningful” assistance.

The four associations are Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), SME Association of Malaysia, Bumiputra Retailers Organization and Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK).

SME, retail and mall associations urge govt for more aid in Budget 2021

The V-shaped recovery that has been attained at this point will be derailed if Budget 2021 is not passed by Parliament, according to EMIR Research.

V-shaped recovery will be derailed if Budget 2021 not passed — EMIR Research

Construction companies are set to benefit greatly from the projects and expenditure outlined in Budget 2021, with the Mass Rapid Transit 3 and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail viewed as being big opportunities.

Builders the key beneficiaries of Budget 2021, but little interest seen

The recently tabled Budget 2021 was "supersized but spread too thin", said Affin Hwang Capital Research, noting that the measures announced were not sufficient to assist the sectors that are badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Budget 2021 has something for everyone but ‘spread too thin’, says Affin Hwang

Pejuang says the government had used Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s decree as a “blank cheque” to propose a Budget which is populist and does not take into account the interests of the people.

Pejuang: Budget 2021 populist, does not take into account public interest

Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd and Supermax Corp Bhd have confirmed that they are donating to the Government’s COVID-19 fund set up to battle the pandemic.

When contacted by theedgemarkets.com, Top Glove said it is donating RM185 million to the fund, while Supermax will be chipping in RM75 million.

Kossan, Top Glove, Hartalega and Supermax confirm donations to Govt's RM400 mil COVID-19 fund

Human capital management solution provider RAMSSOL Group said employee engagement is key in digital transformation.

Employee engagement key in digital transformation, says RAMSSOL

BIMB Holdings Bhd's Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd has welcomed the enhancement made to the targeted repayment assistance in Budget 2021, saying that the measure addresses the difficulties of most vulnerable groups and provides an opportunity for them to recover from the economic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Budget 2021

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