'Implicit' allocation brings MOH budget to RM35.82b next year - deputy minister
PARLIAMENT | Under fire from both government and opposition MPs, Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali today said the ministry's total expenditure for next year would amount to RM35.82 billion.
In winding-up the Health Ministry's (MOH) budget at the committee stage, Noor Azmi said the actual amount allocated is higher than RM31.94 billion stated in the Supply (Budget) Bill 2021...
PARLIAMENT | Under fire from both government and opposition MPs, Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali today said the ministry's total expenditure for next year would amount to RM35.82 billion.
In winding up the Health Ministry's (MOH) budget at the committee stage, Noor Azmi said the actual amount allocated is higher than RM31.94 billion stated in the Supply (Budget) Bill 2021.
"This (RM35.82 billion) means the percentage for the health ministry's allocation for 2021 is 11.11 percent of the federal expenditure, an increase of 0.88 percent compared to the year 2020.
He said the extra amount not listed under the ministry's budget debated today comprises RM79.6 million announced as additional allocations under the Finance Ministry; RM800 million under the national Covid-19 fund; and RM3 billion allocations to purchase Covid-19 vaccine.
"This is what I have been trying to explain. What is implicit and what is explicit," said the Bagan Serai MP, prompting outcries from at least three other doctors from the opposition bench, Dr Hatta Ramli (Harapan-Lumut), Dzulkefly Ahmad (Harapan-Kuala Selangor) and Dr Kelvin Yii (Harapan-Bandar Kuching).
"How can a budget be implied? All must be explicit, that's what we can debate.
"How do we debate implied allocations?" Hatta asked.
Dzulkefly, the former health minister under the previous Harapan administration, further urged Noor Azmi to admit that the extra amount allocated should be considered as "off-budget spendings" for next year.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun, who presided over the sitting, repeatedly urged the MPs to allow Noor Azmi to proceed with his answers to their questions, rather than pressing on with their interjections.
Aside from Harapan MPs, others on the government bench also took Noor Azmi to task for his long-winded answers, including Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu).
"I ask for answers according to our questions. There is no need for long stories.
"This is at the committee stage, with specific details. So please answer one by one," said Jalaluddin at one point during Noor Azmi's speech.
Unlike other ministries that have been allocated 15 minutes for winding-up, extra emphasis on the Covid-19 budget saw Noor Azmi being granted 30 minutes and this was later extended to over 40 minutes to give way for numerous interjections and demands for clarification.
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