YOURSAY | ‘M’sians were led to believe the budget was proxy for a confidence motion.’

In latest take on budget vote, Anwar claims victory due to concessions

MS: Just go, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. You have no clue as to what the country really needs, the reforms that will restore the country's potential, and its once-promising future.

You made your black eye the centre of your self-serving call for justice and so it was always about yourself. You are an appeaser of the crooked and the corrupt. You are not a leader of all Malaysians.

You have proven that you will trade whatever you have for minor gains while ignoring the obscenity of the multi-million ringgit propaganda machine, the Special Affairs Department or Jasa (which even the traitorous minister declared he was unaware of) - a vile money-sucking tool to further corrupt and divide Malaysians with its Malay-first poison.

You decided that the racially-lopsided budget which glaringly embroiders the corrosive politics of the "Malay unity, Buy Muslim First" cabal should be supported because it "should not be opposed for the sake of opposing".

The veterans' organisation, Patriot, as well as the interfaith organisation, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST), have both red-flagged the blatant erosion of the rights of non-Muslims guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

You know what that is. Yet you have decided that it will be imprudent on your part to say anything in Parliament lest it dilutes your Islamic credentials.

In this instance, you have proved that you have no compunction to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds - have it both ways as you always did since your days in Persatuan Bahasa Melayu Universiti Malaya (PBMUM) and Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim).

I could go on and on, but I think I have made my point. Like your arch-nemesis former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, you belong to an age when race-baiting was the only way to rise up the ranks and gather a following. Your quote-laced demagoguery which served you well in the past is now almost passe.

If you are more grounded like some of the younger ones in PKR reaching across ethnic lines, you would know that. But you are not able to because you are a prisoner of the image you cultivated for yourself.

So, please go. Make room for those who are willing to restore Malaysia back to health, as a safe and productive place for all Malaysians.

ElGitano: It’s not only about whether to support or oppose the budget. The issue is what happens if Pakatan Harapan manages to shoot the budget down by say, a very minimum margin.

The PN government will definitely fall and may require the Agong to ultimately decide whether to call for a snap election or to replace Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with an interim PM.

Now given the current pandemic, it is more likely the Agong may appoint an interim PM whom he believes may be most suitable to govern until such time when the situation permits to hold GE15.

Given this, it is very unlikely Anwar will be chosen and it very possible the old man may get his chance to come back for the third time.

This may tell why Anwar has done the very unexpected by not shooting the budget down. So, it’s a strategic move as far as Harapan is concerned.

BlueShark1548: How politicians can twist facts! From a bungle in not calling for a bloc vote at the second budget reading, Anwar now claims victory?

So, will a third reading of the budget be passed as well if the finance minister takes note and accommodates the opposition's objections?

No more talk of your resignation? Anwar, you are losing your credibility each day you talk. Just step aside for someone younger to lead Harapan into GE15 and forget about the budget because you had bungled.

Malaysia Bharu: Who is Anwar to make a unilateral decision not to oppose the ‘racist’ budget? The very fact that he kept his stand under wraps without even as much as a discussion with his coalition partners nor a consensus is indicative of a man caught with his pants down.

His afterthought nonsense that the Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had accommodated the changes requested is a fiction of his own mind.

What was there to gloat about in terms of the changes? Even the most glaring of abuses such as the RM85.5 million for Jasa was not addressed for certain.

There are only two plausible reasons one can think of for Anwar's betrayal.

1) He did not have the numbers.

2) He is still harbouring hopes on the Umno rebels who took him for a ride.

What else is new in Anwar's takeover bid? It is time he called a spade a spade and step aside for his long-suffering down-liners to salvage what is left of PKR.

Shine: Anwar, it is time to move on. You have lost all credibility. You have failed to stand up to be counted for all Malaysians, irrespective of race or religion.

Covid-19 has damaged everything that we hold dear in our land. People have lost their jobs and are having a hard time putting food on the table. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are folding and the future looks bleak for many. Meanwhile, you and your close circles of friends play politics.

Please, Anwar, move on and let the younger MPs in your party come forward. There are many capable ones, including your daughter, Nurul Izzah.

Daylight: Malaysia’s political game is still in play until GE15, so don’t try to sack the manager for losing one goal because a new manager may lose even more goals, especially when you don’t have the luxury of too many trustworthy managers to choose from.

Shout, abuse, tear your hair out if you must, but stay sane and committed to the cause. Otherwise, it’s game over.

Undecided: "A week earlier (before the vote on Thursday), I issued a statement. If our concessions were not met, we would opt to reject Budget 2021 in total. What happened was that the finance minister made major concessions," said Anwar.

“If the concessions made will help the people with money in the bank, the fishermen, the farmers, the civil servants, the frontliners fighting Covid-19 why should we reject (the budget)? How do we explain to the masses? This is what they wanted.”

Indeed, this argument can be used by PN against Harapan to gain support from the masses. It’s good that Anwar saw this possibility.

Despite the unpopularity of the decision, he is brave enough to take full responsibility for it. In the same situation, Mahathir would probably wriggle his way out.

Cryo: With due respect, withdrawing from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) (our retirement fund), does not help the rakyat.

It’s merely bleeding us in the long run. What we want is to reduce bloated ministries, cut politicians' salaries, abolish Jasa, and do something to assist the rakyat, SMEs, and more.

The policy stage is a stage where Anwar could have shown the numbers where the current government has lost confidence. Well, some Umno people may have cold feet but still, it is worth fighting for.

Regardless, it was political suicide for Anwar and team. Politicians need to know their place, that they are voted by the people.

PinkMacaw3429: EPF withdrawals are not bonuses, jackpots, or windfalls. EPF is for your old age savings. It’s your own money, not from the government or Zafrul. How are you going to support your everyday expenses when you stop working?

Anwar thinks he’s clever, but he is very amateurish. Umno puts out some bait, and he greedily bites it. In the end, Umno will eat him alive.

For what he has gone through, it looks like he never learns. Anwar, wake up from your fantasies.

TC Chan: Malaysians were led to believe that the voting on the budget was to be a proxy for a confidence motion because we all know that the no-confidence motions filed would never see the light of day.

If the narrative was that Harapan wanted a budget that met its demands, then say so. You built up expectations, and now you are claiming victory. What a tangled web you weave.

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