Umno Youth wants PM to negotiate with all parties to secure budget vote

Umno Youth is calling on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to meet and negotiate with the leaders of all parties, to make sure that Budget 2021 passes in the Dewan Rakyat.

It is in line with growing calls for a political ceasefire and national reconciliation.

"The prime minister must call the presidents of all political parties, whether government or opposition, to have pre-Parliament negotiations to ensure that Budget 2021 can pass for the people's wellbeing," said Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

He also proposed that representatives from both sides be included in a Parliament Select Committee to help address issues related to Covid-19.

Bipartisan cooperation can also be extended to all other matters to help the people and the economy, Asyraf added.

He repeated Umno's call for Warisan to be given a walkover in Batu Sapi to avoid a by-election.

The calls for reconciliation and unity came after Muhyiddin's attempt to get an emergency declaration was rejected by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The government had framed the emergency as necessary to combat Covid-19 but critics claimed it was an attempt to cling on to power amid speculations that a group of rebel Umno MPs was planning to turn against Muhyiddin, which would cause him to lose his already fragile majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Besides Umno, their bitter rival DAP had also called for national reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Asyraf urged politicians to put political intrigue on hold.

"Stop all political manoeuvres and struggling for power and the prime minister position temporarily, until the people's fight against Covid-19 and economic downturn is resolved," he said.

Previously PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had claimed to have enough support to form a government, allegedly with the backing of Umno MPs.

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is also pressing for a vote of no-confidence to be called against Muhyiddin.