PETALING JAYA: A fresh Budget will have to be re-tabled by the newly formed government after the general election should Budget 2023 not be passed by Parliament before polls is called, say analysts.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s political science expert Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said it was necessary for the new government to re-table a fresh Budget in such an event.
“Whether a similar Budget is tabled again, this will depend on the (political) alignment within the new government.
“The new Budget will depend on who is the dominant party after the polls,” he said yesterday.
Should the Budget be passed, he said the new government would have to adopt this although adjustments could be made at a later stage.
Sivamurugan said both the salaries of civil servants and the government’s delivery system would not be affected should the Budget not be passed during the coming meeting.
“A precedent was set in 1999 when Parliament was dissolved soon after the Budget was tabled.
“It did not affect the government’s delivery system,” he said.
Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin tabled Budget 2000 on Oct 29, 1999, after which Parliament was dissolved on Nov 11 before this could be passed.
This led to the 10th General Election being held on Nov 29 with Barisan Nasional winning the polls.
Barisan subsequently tabled an allocation of RM30.768bil in Dewan Rakyat on Dec 20 to ensure continuity in the administration of the country.
A fresh Budget, similar to the one tabled in 1999, was re-tabled by Barisan in Parliament on Feb 25 the following year.
Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook dismissed talk that Parliament would be dissolved shortly after Budget 2023 was tabled.
Loke claimed that such a move would destabilise the country’s administration and that civil servants would not get their salaries at the start of 2023.
Budget 2023 is scheduled to be tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz in Dewan Rakyat on Oct 7 and is expected to be debated in both Houses of Parliament before Dec 7.
Universiti Putra Malaysia political science Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan said any incoming government could still adopt the Budget that’s passed.
“It is reasonable to expect some adjustments in priorities to reflect the focus and promises of the new government.
“But the basics (allocations) to sustain the government would remain,” he added.
Senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research Dr Azmi Hassan said a fresh Budget would be required if the one tabled next month was not passed due to Parliament’s dissolution.
“However, if the Budget is passed and gazetted, then it becomes law which the new government has to adhered to,” he said, adding that adjustment, however, could still be made.
“Once the Budget is passed by Parliament, it is valid and binding for the next fiscal year.
“The new government will have to live with it,” said International Islamic University Malaysia’s Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod.
He said the new government could still tweak the Budget but only with approval from Parliament.