PUTRAJAYA: The tabling of the Supply (Budget) Bill 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat has been brought forward to Oct 7, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Wan Junaidi, in a statement Friday, said the budget would be tabled in the Third Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 14th Parliament (2022), which begins on Oct 3.
He said according to the original calendar of Parliament, the coming session of Dewan Rakyat was supposed to be for 31 days from Oct 26 to Dec 15, 2022 while Dewan Negara was supposed to meet from Dec 8 to 22.
However, the session has been brought forward by 23 days under the new calendar, where Dewan Rakyat will sit for 32 days from Oct 3 to Nov 29 and Dewan Negara from Nov 21 to Dec 7.
“This change is because of the need for the Government to amend the calendar for the Third Meeting to enable the tabling of the Supply (Budget) Bill 2023 to be brought forward,” he added.
Apart from this, he said, it was also to enable the Supplementary Supply Bill 2022 and Fiscal Responsibility Bill to be tabled once the Supply (Budget) Bill 2023 was approved by Dewan Rakyat.
Several online media reports Friday said Budget 2023 would be tabled on Oct 7 instead of the original scheduled date of Oct 28.
Wan Junaidi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was using his power under Standing Order 11(2) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders and Standing Order 10(2) of the Dewan Negara Standing Orders to bring forward the start of the session from Oct 26 to Oct 3.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said it is normal to table the country’s budget earlier than scheduled.
“It is normal. Even during the time of Pak Lah (Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi), it was held in September,” he said.
He said when asked on reports that Budget 2023 would be tabled earlier on October 7.
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