Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has defended opposition MPs’ sensational walkout during the tabling of the 2017 Budget by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.
"I can understand where the opposition was coming from and why they walked out.
"This is because Najib used the budget speech to continuously attack the opposition, the former prime minister and two former deputy prime ministers.
"They walked out following the relentless attacks," he told a press conference here this morning.
Lim was not in Parliament at the time, as he had left for Penang at 5pm to welcome the Raja of Perlis and his entourage who were visiting the state to grace the 200th anniversary celebration of the Penang Free School last night.
It was reported that the tabling of the 2017 Budget was disrupted when opposition lawmakers suddenly stood up to interrupt Najib’s speech.
The ruckus began when Najib said there were allegations that the 2017 Budget was of no substance and the government had insufficient funds.
"In fact, an opposition leader stated that Malaysia will face a difficult economic situation this year. Now, who is without substance? Where did the storm originate from? Who is the one putting up a show?” Najib was quoted as saying.
Opposition MPs then stood up in protest and created a brouhaha, despite repeated calls by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia to sit down.
The protesting lawmakers only relented when Pandikar warned that they would be ejected from the Dewan.
Since then, numerous quarters have slammed the walkout, including Najib himself, as an act of ‘disgrace’ against the country’s parliamentary institution.
Source -NST ONline-
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