3 PAS lawmakers break ranks with party to vote against budget

Pas' Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar is one of three PAS lawmakers who broke ranks with their party and joined the rest of the opposition to vote against Budget 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat tonight. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, November 16, 2015.Three PAS lawmakers broke ranks with their party and joined the rest of the opposition to vote against Budget 2016 at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat tonight.

The PAS lawmakers were Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Kubang Kerian MP Ahmad Baihaki Atiqulah and Pasir Puteh MP Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad.

The Islamist party had earlier decided that it would abstain from voting against the budget, its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had announced.

The budget was passed by a division vote, as requested by the opposition MPs, with 128 ayes and 74 nays.

Mahfuz, when met by reporters at the Parliament lobby, said he was not worried about having action taken against him by his party.

"I voted against the budget as I love the people. I don't want a budget that burdens the people. To me, this budget does not give the best to the people of our country.

"I am not worried (about any action by PAS) as I did not deviate from its decision. They decided not to vote for the budget and I voted against."

It is believed that seven other PAS lawmakers who were present at today's sitting, abstained from voting, while four other MPs from the party did not attend.

Despite calls from DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) to remove Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak via the budget, Hadi had said the Islamist party was not interested in blindly opposing the government.

He said the party had unanimously agreed not to vote down the budget, which Najib tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on October 23, adding that there were other ways to unseat Najib, such as tabling a motion of no-confidence, but said this would not work without Umno's cooperation.

The rest of the opposition, including PKR, Amanah and DAP, voted against the budget, but it is learnt that independent candidate Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who was formerly from PKR, threw his support for the budget.

PKR's 30 lawmakers were in full attendance, while two out of 37 DAP MPs were absent.

One of them was Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang, also DAP parliamentary leader, who was suspended for six months on October 22.

However, it is not known why Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw was absent. – November 16, 2015.