~penarik beca (2)

Harakah (4/11/08): Ahli-ahli Parlimen pembangkang hari ini menyifatkan Timbalan Perdana Menteri yang juga Menteri Kewangan, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak "penakut" dan "tidak jujur".

Ketika keluar dewan beramai-ramai kerana memprotes keengganan Najib memberi ruang untuk penjelasan ketika menggulung perbahasan Bajet 2009, beberapa anggota pembangkang melaung-laungkan perkataan "penakut, penakut!" kepada Najib.

Para pemimpin kanan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pula menyifatkan Najib "tidak jujur".

"Beliau mendakwa bajet tidak ditukar, (dakwaan) yang tidak benar. Bajet telah ditukar," kata Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang dalam sidang akhbar ahli-ahli Parlimen PR yang diketuai Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim di lobi Parlimen .

"Beliau membentangkan bajet yang disemak semula (revised budget) sambil mendakwa ia bukan bajet yang disemak semula. Beliau tidak jujur".

Dalam sidang akhbar ketika Najib meneruskan ucapannya tentang pakej ransangan ekonomi itu, Anwar menjelaskan bahawa ahli-ahli Parlimen pembangkang memprotes "sikap angkuh" Najib yang enggan memberi laluan untuk penjelasan ketika beliau berucap.

Menurut Ketua Umum PKR itu, ketika Yang Di-Pertua Dewan bertanya Najib adakah beliau akan memberi laluan kepada Ketua Pembangkang untuk membalas hujahnya, Timbalan Perdana Menteri menjawab, "tidak"

Najib juga berkata: "Itu hak saya (untuk tidak memberi laluan)."

"Kalau itulah caranya, apa guna kami berada di dalam Dewan," Anwar mempersoalkan.

Anwar juga mengkritik Najib yang dianggap tidak menghormati sama sekali prosedur Dewan. Pihak pembangkang, katanya, menunggu kemunculan Najib dengan bajet yang disemak semula sejak dua minggu lalu.

Ahli-ahli Parlimen pembangkang meradang, katanya, kerana mereka hanya diberikan beberapa minit sahaja untuk membincangkan bajet baru yang dipinda itu sebelum diluluskan.

Anwar juga hairan dengan tindakan Menteri Kewangan enggan memberi laluan untuk memohon penjelasan.

"Apa yang dipersoalkan ialah Najib mengemukakan angka baru dalam penggulungannya.

"Tiada makna kalau kami hanya datang untuk mendengar, kami boleh baca sendiri.

"Apa yang kami mahukan ialah penjelasan kepada angka-angka baru ini," katanya.

Ketika menyampaikan pembentangannya, bakal Presiden Umno itu tidak membenarkan percubaan beberapa Ahli Parlimen pembangkang mendapatkan penjelasan darinya dan hanya bersedia menjawab soalan apabila beliau menghabiskan ucapannya.

Pihak pembangkang juga tidak berpuas hati apabila begitu banyak statistik yang dikemukakan oleh Najib begitu berbeza dengan statistik yang dibentangkan September lalu oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang ketika itu Menteri Kewangan.

Percubaan Anwar untuk menafikan dakwaan Najib kononnya belanjawan yang dicadangkan oleh beliau mewakili PR bersifat menguncup (contractionary) juga tidak dibenarkan.

Ketika ahli-ahli pembangkang keluar beramai-ramai itu, Najib berkata, "Bagus, bagus" dan selepas itu berkata "aman sikit Dewan ni pembangkang tak ada".

Sebelum itu, dalam kekecohan berikitan keengganan Najib memberi laluan untuk penjelasan itu, Yang Di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia memerintahkan Ahli Parlimen Batu, Tian Chua keluar dewan. Tian Chua tidak dibenarkan berada dalam Dewan Rakyat sehingga esok

As Najib speaks Opposition MPs walk out

Malaysian Insider (4/11/08): All Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers staged a walkabout of the Dewan Rakyat approximately an hour into Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's speech when winding-up the debate on the 2009 Budget this evening.

Speaking to reporters outside the House while Najib continued with his speech on the federal government's economic stimulation package, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said they protested against Najib's "arrogant manner" in prohibiting them from speaking up during his speech.

Anwar added that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, had even asked Najib if he would give way for the Opposition leader to rebut his announcements and Najib had stated "no."

"If that is the case, what is the benefit for us to remain inside?" queried Anwar.

The top leaders from the PR coalition further accused Najib, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, of being "dishonest".

"He said the Budget has not been changed, which is untrue. The Budget has been changed," said DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang. "This is misleading the House."

Lim said it was an "unfortunate beginning" for Najib, who had just won the Umno presidency uncontested which is likely see him become the prime minister next March when Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi steps down.

"He is presenting a revised Budget while claiming it is not a revised Budget. He is dishonest," Lim emphasised.

Anwar criticised Najib for his "complete disrespect of procedures of the House." He explained that the opposition faction had been waiting for the past two weeks for Najib to appear with a revised Budget proposal.

The Permatang Pauh MP said the opposition were incensed that they were now given only minutes to discuss the new, amended Budget before approval.

Asked if the House could approve the Budget now without the opposition inside, Anwar replied: "They don't need two-thirds majority, they only need a simple majority."

Parliament: Opposition MPs stage walkout

The Star (4/11/08): Opposition MPs walked out en bloc after Tian Chua (PKR- Batu) was barred from the Dewan Rakyat during the Finance Minister’s winding-up speech on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that it was “meaningless” for them to remain in the august hall when Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had presented a new Budget, but denied the fact.

Najib, also the Deputy Prime Minister, was presenting the Government’s economic stimulus package for 2009.

“We were patient and waited for an hour, and we requested the opportunity to ask for an explanation, but the Finance Minister refused us this,” Anwar said.

“He presented a new package and this is a problem, but he kept saying that it was not,” he told the press immediately after the walkout.

Anwar said they were prompted to leave after Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia asked Najib whether he would allow Opposition MPs to ask questions.

“And he (Najib) said ‘No.’ This is Parliament, not some Umno division meeting.

“In Parliament, ministers give answers. We were merely seeking clarification on what he had announced,” he said.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang (DAP- Ipoh Timur), who was also at the press conference, said that Najib had claimed that the Budget remained unchanged, “which was untrue.”

“The Budget is being changed and there is no presentation of the revised Budget which is to be mooted afterwards.

“Pakatan Rakyat leaders have been calling for him to present a revised Budget and then we can debate and, at the end of the day, we can have a vote ... but he refused,” he said.

MP Pakatan Rakyat keluar selepas penggulungan Bajet 2009 tidak boleh dibahas (Siasah 4/11/08)
Opposition MPs walk out (The Sun 4/11/08)
RM7 billion to stimulate the economy (The Sun 4/11/08)
Ucapan penggulungan Menteri Kewangan di Dewan Rakyat (mStar Online 4/11/08)
Najib kemuka ucapan sulung, pembangkang pulau Dewan (mStar Online 4/11/08)
Najib: Bajet alternatif pembangkang bersifat menguncup (Bernama 4/11/08)
Para menteri bidas tindakan pembangkang keluar dewan (Bernama 4/11/08)
RM7b injection in revised Budget 2009 (Malaysian Insider 4/11/08)
RM7b rangsang ekonomi (Utusan Malaysia 4/11/08)
Pembangkang keluar Dewan bantah tiada ruang penjelasan (Utusan Malaysia 4/11/08)