The six MPs from PAS who voted against the Budget 2018 in a close call last night, may not have received instructions on how to vote, one of their colleagues said today.

Bukit Gantang MP Idris Ahmad said they could have been caught by surprise.

"Maybe they didn't get instructions, (maybe they were) surprised (by the bloc vote)," Idris told Malaysiakini.

He did not respond when asked if the instructions he meant was for PAS lawmakers to abstain from the bloc vote.

However, he said all PAS MPs were free to make their own decision, and that no action would be taken against them.

Last night, the opposition almost defeated Budget 2018 during the committee stage debate on the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry allocations.

BN survived with a razor-thin majority of 52-51.

Idris, who is a PAS vice-president, and Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff abstained from voting.

However, the six other Islamic party MPs - Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena), Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Bachok), Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun), Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (Pasir Puteh), Izani Husin (Pengkalan Chepa) and Ahmad Baihaki Atiqullah (Kubang Kerian) - voted against the budget.

Hadi Awang among those absent

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and other top leaders Takiyuddin Hassan, Nasrudin Hassan, Nik Abduh Nik Aziz, Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali and party backbencher Che Rosli Che Mat were absent.

Idris slammed those who slandered him and Siti Zailah for abstaining from the bloc vote.

In a Facebook post, he said that last night's bloc vote was not a protest against rising cost of living.

"So why slander me and Siti Zailah for abstaining and (accuse us) of supporting rising costs of fuel and goods?" Idris said.

Pasir Puteh MP Nik Mazian said PAS lawmakers had voted on their conscience.

"We are against the price hike. The Domestic Trade Ministry is in charge of pricing control, we have to say we don't it. we want to teach them a lesson.

"There is no ruling to say that we must abstain from voting, only on policy do we abstain," he said.

Meanwhile, Nasrudin (photo), who is also PAS information chief, said questions should also be asked about the 26 Pakatan Harapan MPs who were not present for last night's bloc vote.

"If they (Harapan) wanted to win, they should have mobilised the (missing) 26.

"PAS has obviously, from the start, taken a stand to abstain," the Temerloh MP said.

It is not yet clear who the 26 Harapan MPs who were absent during last night's bloc vote are.