Minister assures Budget 2023 will be tabled Friday, amid dissolution rumours

PARLIAMENT | Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has assured that Budget 2023 will be tabled on Friday as planned, amid speculation that Parliament may be dissolved soon.

"The budget will definitely be tabled on Friday," he told a press conference at Parliament today.

"That is my understanding until 10.30pm last night, anything that may have changed after that is beyond me. We had a pre-council meeting last night and I went home at 10.30pm.

"I was the last individual with the prime minister, so I know that the budget will be tabled on Oct 7," he added.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is under mounting pressure from his party Umno to hold snap polls soon.

On Sept 30, the Umno supreme council decided that Parliament should be dissolved soon to make way for the 15th general election this year.

Cabinet approval

In another development, Wan Junaidi said there are several bills slated to be tabled in this Dewan Rakyat session today but are yet to be approved by the cabinet.

They are the Political Funding Bill 2022, Parliamentary Services Bill 2022, Houses of Parliament (Privilege and Powers)( Amendment) Bill 2022 and Insolvency Bill 1967.

"In addition, there are also constitutional amendments expected to be tabled in this session but require the cabinet's approval. They are provisions related to the Parliamentary Services Bill, prohibition of senators changing parties and limiting the prime minister's term.

"I am confident that the government will achieve its goal in parliamentary transformation with the implementation of all these proposed law amendments," he said.

In total, Wan Junaidi surmised that there are 23 bills and constitutional amendments that were approved by the cabinet to be tabled for first reading, and another nine bills to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat for first reading, but yet to be debated and passed at the policy and committee stage.

He also announced that the cabinet has given the green light to replace the mandatory death penalty for 11 offences with alternative sentences.

"This means the death sentence still exists, but just not through legal coercion as the discretionary power will be given to the judge whether to impose a death sentence.”

Wan Junaidi noted that all the formulation of the new laws and amendments will be implemented as planned.

When asked about the prime minister's tenure, which is part of the agreement in the memorandum with the Pakatan Harapan, the minister said he can only deliver what he is able to do.

"I have been in politics for 42 years in politics. I am a very honest person, I talk about what I am doing and I deliver what I have said. What I am telling you is the dissolution of Parliament, that is the aral melintang (obstacle), so I don't want to answer," he said.

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