By Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 - The Opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition is calling the ongoing debate on the Budget "the parliamentary farce of the century."
"We want to know precisely what was approved yesterday, whether it was the Budget by Prime Minister Abdullah or Deputy Prime Minister Najib," said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
His comments followed a suspension of proceedings in Parliament today because of a confusion sparked by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's address yesterday.
In winding up the debate on the 2009 Budget tabled by PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi three months ago, Najib had announced a set of revised figures on government revenue and expenditure, and also proposed a slew of measures to deal with the global financial crisis.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar later ruled that lawmakers would have to proceed with debating the Abdullah Budget.
Anwar noted that the Opposition MPs had this morning received parliamentary documents that clearly stated the matter to be debated today was the Budget presented by Abdullah back in August before he had exchanged the Finance Ministry portfolio with Najib.
The Pakatan Rakyat coalition is now objecting strongly to the continuing debate of Abdullah's Budget which now contain outdated financial projections.
They contend that the 2009 Budget is "illegal" because the Najib's speech yesterday had contained revisions that had not been formally tabled in the House and as such could not be debated upon.
Asked why the PR coalition had chosen to walk out of the Dewan Rakyat yesterday while Najib was still presenting instead of waiting for his conclusion to protest, Anwar said he feared that he would not be given the chance to do so.
He added that he had been informed that Najib told newspaper editors in a briefing before his presentation yesterday afternoon that he would not give the Opposition any opportunity to object. -- TMI
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