Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has confirmed that Budget 2023 will have to be re-tabled in Dewan Rakyat before the end of 2022. This comes following the dissolution of the Parliament for the upcoming 15^th general election (GE15) just three days after the original tabling of Budget 2023.

The national budget for 2023 was initially tabled on 7 October 2022 by the current caretaker Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, with a total allocation of RM372.3 billion. It was noted to be the highest to date, up RM40.2 billion from the RM332.1 billion that was previously earmarked for Budget 2022. The tabling was subsequently followed by the dissolution of the Parliament on 10 October, with the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

Accordingly, Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun had already highlighted that Budget 2023 will need to be retabled if it is not approved when the Parliament is dissolved to make way for GE15. Tengku Zafrul also noted before that Budget 2023 will take its cue from the procedures of Budget 2000 (tabled in 1999) if the Parliament were to be dissolved before Budget 2023 is approved.

“At that time, the Budget was tabled and Parliament was dissolved, after which the Budget was presented again in the Parliament,” Tengku Zafrul had previously commented.

Meanwhile, caretaker Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin stressed that the tabling of Budget 2023 was not in vain as it will be brought back to the Dewan Rakyat after GE15, if the existing government were to return to power. He also emphasised that with the presentation, Budget 2023 is officially “an expenditure that has been allocated”, instead of just mere manifesto.

The Election Committee (EC) is expected to announce the date for election day this coming Thursday (20 October 2022). Alongside the national budget for 2023, the new government elected from GE15 will also need to re-table six other bills in the Dewan Rakyat.

(Source: Free Malaysia Today)

• TAGS:
• Budget 2023
• Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
• Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz
• Dewan Rakyat
• Election Committee
• GE15
• General Election
• Khairy Jamaluddin
• Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun
• Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah