MPs Staged A Walkout After Najib Started Talking In Dewan Rakyat About #Budget2021
Pekan lawmaker Datuk Seri Najib was representing Barisan Nasional (BN) in the debate about Budget 2021.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 11 Nov 2020, 04:48 PM
During the Parliament session yesterday, 10 November, more than 10 lawmakers staged a walkout as a sign of protest when former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak started talking about Budget 2021
According to Free Malaysia Today, the walkout stunt was executed once Najib was given the floor to debate about Budget 2021.
The Pekan Member of Parliament (MP) was appointed as Barisan Nasional backbenchers' chairman (BNBBC) earlier this month despite being convicted in the SRC International case for abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust (CBT).
As the BNBBC, he is responsible for reflecting UMNO's demand on the budget.
Taking to Twitter, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, who was one of the MPs to stage the walkout, said she could not stand seeing a convicted Najib still being able to represent his party
"Najib was convicted of corruption. But today he was present as BNBBC chief and debated the Budget 2021 as if nothing happened," tweeted the former Bersih 2.0 chief.
"I protest and I walked out! #NotMyNewNormal."
Jerlun MP Mukhriz Mahathir also voiced his objection against Najib's new role and asked whether this is the new normal in the parliament.
It is worth noting that the walkout stunt was pulled at a time when the Dewan Rakyat only allows 80 representatives to join the session as a means to ensure physical distancing can be met after several staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
Some netizens and politicians have criticised Maria for joining the walkout stunt, suggesting that she should have raised her objections in the Dewan Rakyat instead.
Meanwhile, when Najib was given the floor to speak yesterday, he said BN will support Budget 2021 only if the government meets two conditions
The former premier asked for the government to raise the withdrawal limit for Account One in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to RM10,000 and a blanket extension of the loan moratorium until June 2021, reported Malay Mail.
"Our support for the Budget 2021 Bill is one with conditions," Najib stressed.
