KUALA LUMPUR – MPs are allowed to debate the full content of Budget 2025, including parts that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not read out during the presentation of the document last Friday, said Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor.
Ramli said this before the debate session on the budget began in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Bharu-PN) who asked whether the details in the presentation text of the bill, including the government’s intention to introduce new laws related to house arrest punishments – which was not read out by Anwar – could be debated in the House.
“Since the softcopy and hardcopy of the Budget 2025 presentation text have been distributed to the honourable members in this House, even though the Finance Minister (Anwar) did not mention them, I am allowing them to be debated in this session,” he said.
Ramli added that Standing Order 10.1 of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders states that an official report (Hansard) of all speeches made in the House must be prepared and published.
“Therefore, referring to the presentation text (of Budget 2025) by the finance minister, what is recorded in the text but not read out becomes part of the Hansard and can be debated by MPs,” he said.
Takiyuddin also raised the issue regarding the restricted presence of Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang-PN) in the Parliament building after being suspended for six months from attending Dewan Rakyat sessions.
He said a letter from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker dated October 15 to Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, among other things, limited the MP’s presence in the Parliament building, including in the Public Gallery, to follow the proceedings.
However, Ramli clarified that the decision to restrict the MP’s presence is under the administrative jurisdiction of the speaker. – October 21, 2024