KUALA
LUMPUR, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia's parliament convened for the
first time on Monday since last month's snap polls, with the
opposition walking out in protest and the majority government
passing an interim budget for 2000.
The meeting, which coincided with Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad's 74th birthday, approved Finance Minister Daim
Zainuddin's request for 30.7 billion ringgit ($8.08 billion) to
run the country till the full 2000 budget is presented in
February.
But this was approved only after a shouting match between
government and opposition MPs on the legitimacy of the sitting,
an exchange of abuses which even Mahathir could not stop.
"I'm sad because the opposition doesn't seem to care for the
rules of this house anymore," a gloomy-looking Mahathir told
reporters after all 45 opposition MPs walked out briefly to register
their protest over the meeting.
"I think the parliamentary debate in this country frow now on is
going to be more like a street brawl," said the prime minister,
serving his fifth term in office after already being in power for 18
years. He is Asia's longest-elected leader.
Opposition lawmakers said the meeting was unconstitutional
because it came less than 14 days after Mahathir's new Barisan
Nasional (BN) government was formed.
Under the constitution, parliament can only be summoned on the
advice of the new cabinet, which met for the first time on December
15. But MPs were given notice for the meeting as early as December
13, meaning this was done under Mahathir's previous administration.
The opposition said the government's move was unconstitutional.
"Just because the BN has a two-thirds majority that does not give
them the right to violate the constitution," said parliamentary
opposition leader Fadzil Noor of the conservative Parti Islam
se-Malaysia (PAS).
The BN coalition won the November 29 general elections with a
two-thirds margin in parliament but saw a resurgent Islamic
opposition.
Mahathir defended the move to summon parliament, telling
reporters that as caretaker of the government he had the
authority to give notice to the king for the first session of
parliament to sit.
He said he regretted the opposition was more concerned over petty
matters, and accused former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang of the
Democratic Action Party of being the conspirator.
"It seems that Kit Siang is still pulling the strings from behind
to see that the newcomers dance to his tune," he said.
Lim, opposition leader for more than two decades until he lost
last month's election, said in a statement:
"The first act of the Barisan Nasional after being returned to
Parliament is to flaunt its political hegemony and use its
three-quarter majority to violate the constitution and to
further undermine public confidence in the rule of law."
Mahathir said his government was behind time on the budget and
the opposition was only complicating matters. "If we don't get this
budget approved, we can't even pay the salaries of MPs."
The federal budget for the year 2000, valued at 78.03 billion
ringgit, was initially introduced in the lower house of parliament
in October. But it fell into abeyance after Mahathir dissolved
parliament last month for the general elections.
It is to be presented again on February 29.
Finance Minister Daim said on Monday it could take until April or
May for the 2000 budget to become law and the interim budget of 30.7
billion ringgit would hold until then.
spacer.gif
icon_wire_new.gif