|
Walkout An Irresponsible Act, Says Najib |
|
|
|
Posted by admin
|
|
Wednesday, 05 November 2008 09:58 |
|
(Bernama) Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today slammed opposition members of parliament for staging a walkout in the Dewan Rakyat, saying the move was an irresponsible act.
He said the opposition members should have remained in the House because what was being deliberated at the time was additional measures crucial for the country's future and people's well-being.
"As a responsible and constructive opposition, they should have remained in the House.
"The people should realise this... that they (opposition members) have shirked their responsibilities as a constructive and responsible opposition," he told reporters at the parliament lobby today.
Opposition members staged a walkout during the winding up of the 2009 Budget debate by Najib, claiming that the Finance Minister did not give them opportunities to inteject to get clarifications.
Najib said he decided not to give way until after he finished tabling the first part the stimulus package so as to avoid any confusion on the new measures introduced by the government.
"It's better to let me finish with the presentation first. When a clear picture has been established, if they want to asked for any clarification, I will clarify. But they are impatient and insisted on walking out.
"I've promised to give them time to raise whatever question and clarification. I am not denying them their rights; I am just using my rights to determine when they can interject," he said.
When asked whether there was indeed confusion between the 2009 Budget and the additional measures tabled today, Najib said, "This is not a new budget because the amount for development and operating expenditures remains the same."
Najib said what was happening was that the government managed to save on fuel subsidy from RM21 billion previously to between RM10 billion and RM11 billion at the moment following the drop in the global fuel price.
"So there is a saving which we can utilise to stimulate the economy and implement projects that could generate economic growth and help improve the people's well-being," he said.
On the Eurocopter deal, Najib said the government was proven right in the way it implemented the procurement.
"The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had said that it found no procedurial irregularities in the deal... all are in accordance with the rules and carried out in a transparent manner," he said.
He said the purchase was appropriate based on the armed forces' needs in defending the country's sovereignty.
"We are going to decide... the present situation requires the purchase to be postponed; so we postpone it but eventually if we buy, (the price) is going to be much higher than that," he said when asked whether the government would decide to buy the Eurocopter helicopters before February next year.
The price for the 12 EC725 helicopters as stated in the tender is RM1.604 billion and is only valid until February next year, according to the PAC.
 |
The Blogs 
